On May 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Education released a Notice of Implementation announcing that all educational institutions receiving federal funding must provide an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year commemorating the September 17, 1787, signing of the Constitution. Senator Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat and the United States Congress unofficial constitutional scholar, believes that American primary, secondary, and post-secondary students lack significant knowledge regarding the United States Constitution. In December 2004, Senator Byrd offered an amendment that was passed by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in attempt to increase constitutional knowledge.
September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Day), which is the anniversary of the signing of United States Constitution in 1787.
Here are links that relate to the U.S. Constitution, American history and the development of the U.S. government.
- Web Guides: United States Constitution (Library of Congress)
- Web Guides: Primary Documents in American History (Library of Congress)
- Constitution of the United States (World Digital Library)
- Bill of Rights (World Digital Library)
- The Making of the U.S. Constitution (Library of Congress: American Memory)
- American History as Seen in Congressional Documents, 1774-1873 (Library of Congress (American Memory)
- The Federalist Papers (Library of Congress: THOMAS)
- U.S. Constitution App (iTunes)