Constitution Day 2026
Did you know that September 17 is Constitution Day?
On this date in 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by President George Washington and the Constitutional Delegates at Philadelphia.
In 2026, the National Constitution Center awarded the Liberty Medal to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on July 3, 2026. You can watch the historic event by following this link: https://constitutioncenter.org/about/liberty-medal.
Other ways Vassar will mark the occasion:
We continue to showcase our online exhibition of historic documents--including a draft of the Constitution -- one of two known printed drafts, with a handwritten note dating from 1787 that is an important historical document at Vassar. This national treasure has been included in exhibitions, presentations, and classes over the years.
See an article in the Vassar Quarterly here, the related "treasures of Americana, 1760-1830" page here, and an introduction to the exhibition catalogue highlighting the significance of the Constitution document here.
Also available in the Vassar College Libraries is My Dearest Friend: Letters of John and Abigail Adams From the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Vassar's "My Dearest Friend" exhibition was a traveling show from the Massachusetts Historical Society, featuring related items from our collection, including the draft of the Constitution.
Explore the U.S. Constitution and its history at https://constitution.congress.gov/ or read a transcript of the Constitution (replete with original spellings and punctuation) at the National Archives website!
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