Today in History: Citizenship Day
Today in History–September 17–we celebrate Citizenship Day, which was designated in 1952 and combined with Constitution Day into a single day of recognition in 2004. The joint September 17 celebration commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution by the delegates to the 1787 federal convention and recognizes all who “by coming of age or by naturalization have become citizens.”
Citizenship Day
To help mark Citizenship Day along with Constitution Day, the Library’s education team will be supporting a free training seminar for educators and volunteers who lead adult citizenship programs on September 20, 2024. Led by the Citizenship Resource Center staff of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, these training programs provide resources and training to support educators in teaching immigrant students about the naturalization process and preparing them for the citizenship test.
Primary sources
- Joint Resolution authorizing the President of the United States of America to proclaim I Am An American Day, for the recognition, observance, and commemoration of American citizenship (p. 178) May 3, 1940
- Reprint of President Roosevelt’s “I Am an American Day” proclamation May 3, 1940
- Reprint of Arizona Governor “I Am an American Day” proclamation May 17, 1941
- Chapter 49, 66 Stat. 9, February 29, 1952: Joint Resolution designating September 17 of each year as “Citizenship Day”
- Harry S. Truman Proclamation 2984—Citizenship Day, 1952
- More federal legislation related to Citizenship Day
- Historical U.S. newspaper coverage of Citizenship Day
- Being American
- Fourteenth Amendment
- Indian Citizenship Act
Learning resources
- The Constitution and Citizenship Day Teaching with the Library
- “I’m an American”: From Radio Program to Citizenship Day Now See Hear!
- Guided Primary Source Analysis: I Am an American Day
- Guided Primary Source Analysis: Chinese Citizenship in Hawaii
- Learning from the Source: Cesar Chavez & Good Citizenship
- Learning from the Source: Pledge of Allegiance Image Sequencing
- Timely Connections: Immigrant Soldiers
Constitution Day
Primary source sets
Learning resources
- Celebrating Constitution Day and Citizenship Day In Custodia Legis
- Constitution Day – The Annotated Constitution Celebrated In Custodia Legis
- Constitution Day Reflections: Citizenship Schools for Women in 1920 Teaching with the Library
- Constitution Day – Religious Liberty in the United States In Custodia Legis
- How Did Americans Observe the 100th Anniversary of the Signing of the Constitution? Teaching with the Library
- U.S. Constitution lesson plans & activities
U.S. Constitution resources
- Constitution of the United States as originally adopted
- Constitution Annotated analysis & interpretation of the U.S. Constitution
- Our Constitution official podcast of the Constitution Annotated website
- The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution event recording
- An App to Answer Your Questions about the Constitution
- Proposed constitutional amendments, 2001-present