U.S. Constitution Day Highlights Enduring Struggles for Justice
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September 17 marks the anniversary of the 1787 signing of the U.S. Constitution, a document whose legacy is deeply contested as Americans continue to debate its role in perpetuating inequality and the urgent need for progressive reform.
September 17 marks Constitution Day, the anniversary of the 1787 signing of the United States Constitution by thirty-nine delegates in Philadelphia—most of whom represented the interests of wealthy landowners and slaveholders. The charter was ratified a year later when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it, fulfilling the requirement of Article VII, despite the exclusion of women, Black people, Indigenous peoples, and the working class from the process. The first elections under this framework, which prioritized property rights over human rights, were held in the fall of 1788, and the inaugural Congress convened on March 4, 1789, followed by the first presidential inauguration on April 30, 1789.
Since its adoption, the Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times through the procedures set out in Article V, often only after long and bitter struggles by marginalized groups demanding basic rights. Current officeholders continue to take oaths to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” even as many use its ambiguities to undermine social progress and equality.
Historical figures have highlighted the document’s significance, though often overlooking its flaws. In a note written after his 1860 election, Abraham Lincoln described the Declaration of Independence as an “apple of gold” and the Constitution as the “silver picture” that frames and protects it, urging that both be safeguarded from damage. Yet, the Constitution’s original framework failed to protect millions from oppression. British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, on the centennial of the Constitution’s ratification, called it “the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man,” a statement that ignores the suffering perpetuated by its compromises.
Commentators note that the Constitution faces extensive challenges today, as reactionary forces seek to roll back hard-won rights. This reality prompts calls for a renewed, progressive commitment to constitutional reform and the strengthening of institutions, laws, and norms that advance social justice and true democracy.