It must be beyond unforgettable to stand in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom and view original copies of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence - proudly known in these United States as the Charters of Freedom!  The layout and presentation is spectacular and awe-inspiring under the gaze of the Faulkner Murals in the National Archives Museum.

Just steps away in the West Rotunda Gallery is the Road to Revolution, a rotating display of the National Archives' collection documenting major milestones and important historical background leading to the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

This year the experience is made even more important as we celebrate 250 years of Independence, and 239 years since the signing of the U.S. Constitution, making the United States one of the world's oldest constitutional democracies.

Words as these are important.  The introduction to the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution are reprised below so we may reflect on their importance:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

-Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

-Preamble to the United States Constitution

President Truman declared the first Citizenship Day in 1952, upon which the celebration of our Constitution is built today.  He thoughtfully wrote in Proclamation 2984, "Whereas it is most fitting that every citizen of the United States, whether native-born or foreign-born, should on September 17 of each year give special thought and consideration to his rights and responsibilities under our Constitution." 

Congress would later change the designation to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in 2004.  Continuing in this spirit, and in service to the day's educational mission, a whole host of public and private organizations have put together resources and activities to inform and enrich us as Americans.  One of my favorites is the National Constitution Center in historic Philadelphia.  The Center and Museum are located just blocks from Independence Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and signed.

The National Constitution Center always has a full schedule of events planned for Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on September 17th.  The Declaration of Independence will be celebrated all year long in 2026.  The Center's America at 250 Civic Toolkit is a wonderful exploration of our history!  One of the more interesting features in the Toolkit are the essays to be found in The Declaration Across History.  One item is the Seneca Falls Declaration drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848 where she writes: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal...."  Another is President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address where he spoke to the promises of our nation “conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Just as compelling are the Revolutionary Era pamphlets that bespeak of a nation free of Kings.  An excellent overview for those of us new to the subject is the story map 5 Pamphlets That Sparked the Revolution.  Cheap, portable, and full of fire, these pamphlets written by the likes of Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were mass produced to unite Americans to the cause of Independence!  Jefferson, no less, drafted the Declaration of Independence.

The Library of Congress has created an incredible exhibit entitled: Creating the United States.  It has three main parts, Creating the Declaration of Independence, Creating the United States Constitution, and Creating the Bill of Rights.  There is also an extensive list of all the Exhibition Items, including the author, their title, and links to the many items documenting our shared history.

UW-Madison will also be hosting a Constitution Day lecture on Monday, September 14th from 5-7 p.m. in Room 2260 of the Law School.  Our guest speaker, Professor Paul Carrese, "will discuss reflective patriotism as an indispensable civic virtue, one that is necessary to teach and essential to sustaining our constitutional democratic republic."  Mr. Carrese is Director of the Center for American Civics at Arizona State University.  All are welcome to attend. 

We leave you with the promise and legacy of our nation's founding documents—universal principles of freedom and democracy.

Submitted by Eric Taylor, Evening Reference Librarian on September 13, 2026

This article appears in the categories: Law Library