Constitution Day: 7 Facts About the U.S. Constitution

Today is Constitution Day! On this day, the U.S. observes the adoption of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787.

The U.S. Constitution / U.S. National Archives

Here are seven interesting facts about the Constitution:

1. The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787 by 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Some notable signers included George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton.

2. James Madison is often hailed as the “Father of the Constitution.” He was instrumental in drafting the important document and a key champion and author of the Bill of Rights, which were added later. Madison served as the fourth President of the United States.

3. The Constitution was not ratified until June 21, 1788. The document was not considered binding until 9 of the 13 states ratified it. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the document. The first was Delaware.

4. Roger Sherman and Robert Morris are the only two people to have signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

5. The Preamble was written by Gouverneur Morris, one of the youngest delegates in attendance. He has been called the “Penman of the Constitution.” It was Morris who advanced the idea of being a citizen of a single union of states.

6. The Constitution has only been amended 27 times. The first ten amendments make up the Bill of Rights.

7. The U.S. Constitution is the the shortest written constitution, containing 7 articles, 27 amendments and a total of 4,400 words.

To celebrate Constitution Day, check out the Signers of the U.S. Constitution project on Geni!