Celebrate Constitution Day / September 17

1. The U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787.

        On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document they had created. 

2. The original document was four pages long.

        Thirty-nine men signed it, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton.

3. The Constitution includes seven articles.

        These articles outline the powers of Congress, the President and Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, the relationship between the states, the process of adding amendments, and the oath that representatives must pledge to it.

4. There are 27 Amendments to the Constitution.

        The first ten, the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.

5. The most recent amendment was originally proposed in 1789 and not ratified until 1992.

        It reads: "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened."

From:  Susan Alexander, CityView Magazine.