Today is Constitution Day! It commemorates the signing of our Constitution on September 17, 1787. The framing of our Constitution happened during the Constitutional Convention at what is now Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17 of 1787. Delegates were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states (Rhode Island opted out).
The original goal of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but almost immediately, delegates began considering measures to replace them altogether. The Constitution is the oldest constitution of any major government. The original document was handwritten on 5 pieces of parchment by Jacob Shallus, who was the Assistant Clerk to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He was paid $30 (just over $1000 today!) for his work.
Two of America’s Founding Fathers didn’t sign the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson was representing his country in France and John Adams was doing the same thing in Great Britain. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate at 81 years old, while at 26, Jonathon Dayton of New Jersey was youngest. Six men signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Since the Constitution became operational in 1789, more than 11,000 amendments have been introduced to Congress! 33 have gone to the states to be ratified but only 27 received approval to become amendments. Only one amendment has ever been repealed – the 18th (Prohibition).
Today, the original Constitution is on display at the National Archives in Washington D.C. If you’d like to own a piece of American history, a super-rare copy of the Constitution is going up for auction in a few weeks. It’s one of 8 surviving signed copies of the proposed Consitution that was sent to each of the 13 original states for ratification. It was found in a filing cabinet at a home once owned by the governor of North Carolina. Bidding starts at $1 million, but it is projected to sell for much more.
Learn more here.