September 17 to 23 Constitution Week in Fannin County

BLUE RIDGE, Ga – Fannin Commissioners proclaimed September 17 through 23 as Constitution Week in Fannin with Constitution Day falling on September 17.

The Old Unicoi Trail Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented the resolution to the board of commissioners during the September 8 meeting.

The document brought attention to the principles of limited government, guardianship of citizens’ liberties, and encourages the study of the Constitution.

In 1955, DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The aims of the Constitution Week celebration are to:

• Emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.
• Inform people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life.
• Encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

A school in Iowa first recognized Constitution Day in 1911, and in 1917, the Sons of the American Revolution began a committee to promote the holiday. The committee included President Calvin Coolidge, John D. Rockefeller, and General John Pershing as members.

In 1940, Congress created “I am American” Day, which was held on the third Sunday in May to celebrate citizenship. In 1952, Congress moved “I am American” Day to September 17th and renamed it Citizenship Day.

The present holiday came into being in 2004 as an amendment to a spending bill. It renamed Citizenship Day as Constitution and Citizenship Day. The law also mandates that all public schools and federal agencies offer programming on Constitutional history on that day.