Constitution Week September 17 – 23: We The People

The members of the Sarah Riggs Humphreys-Mary Silliman Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) wish to remind everyone that there will be a week-long celebration next month (September 17-23) to commemorate the signing of our Constitution 236 years ago.

The Preamble to the Constitution begins: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The U. S. Constitution is the oldest constitution still in active use in the world today and is the basic document of our republic, which protects the individual liberties of all citizens through written law.

Did you know that Inauguration Day is set in the 20th Amendment? The Presidential and Vice Presidential terms end and the next term begins on January 20th following an election.

For Senators and Representatives, it ends and begins on January 3rd following an election. The time between the election and Inauguration Day is known as the Lame Duck period, particularly if the President was not reelected.

Congress by statute controls when electoral votes are counted at the states and at Congress. The statute stipulates that the electors meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Another part of the election law requires the states to send their electoral votes to Congress by December 23. The electoral votes received by Congress are counted in a joint session at 1:00 p.m. on January 6 and the President-elect takes office.

The 22nd Amendment imposes term limits on the President.

The first President under the new Constitution was George Washington who served two terms of office from 1789 to 1797. His Vice President was John Adams. The second President of the United States was John Adams and his Vice President was Thomas Jefferson. During the administration of President John Adams there was a threat of war with France and again, Washington came back to serve his country in the capacity of Commander-In-Chief. With the threat of war over, Washington returned to his beloved Mt. Vernon. He died there on December 12, 1799. Light Horse Harry Lee said that George Washington was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countryman."

The First Amendment of the Constitution does NOT include the words "freedom of expression" but over time it has been ruled to include limits to the freedom of speech/press/assembly for defamation, perjury, contempt of court, hate speech, size of public demonstrations, trade secrets, noise pollution, classified information and treason. Did you know that shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater is unconstitutional?

American colonists fought, sacrificed, and died to establish and preserve the freedoms now guaranteed to us by the Constitution of the United States.

The DAR perpetuates the memory and spirit of the men and women who won American independence. Any woman who is lineally descended from an ancestor who aided the patriot cause during the American Revolution may be eligible to join. The DAR is a nonprofit lineage society focused on historical preservation, community education and patriotism. For more information visit www.sarahriggshumphreysDAR.org