September 17, 2008 • 4:39 pm
Happy Constitution Day
Read the U.S. Constitution here.
Some interesting facts courtesy of ConstitutionFacts.com:
September 17, 1787 — All 12 state delegations approve the Constitution, 39 delegates sign it of the 42 present, and the Convention formally adjourns.
The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world.”
Since 1952, the Constitution has been on display in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Currently, all four pages are displayed behind protective glass framed with titanium. To preserve the parchment’s quality, the cases contain argon gas and are kept at 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 40 percent.
The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until 1924.
The Bill of Rights
Filed under: Everything Else , September 17, U.S. Constitution
