Fascinating Facts about the U.S Constitution

The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the oldest and shortest written constitution of any major government in the world.

Since 1952, the Constitution has been on display in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Currently, all four pages are displayed behind protective glass framed with titanium. To preserve the parchment’s quality, the cases contain argon gas and are kept at 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 40 percent.

Because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the Constitution. As he did so, tears streamed down his face.

Aproclamation by President George Washington and a congressional resolution established the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26, 1789. The reason for the holiday was to give “thanks” for the new Constitution.

As evidence of its continued flexibility and durability, the Constitution has been changed only 17 times since 1791!

At the time of the Constitutional Convention, Philadelphia was the most modern city in the United States and the largest city in North America. It had a population of 40,000 people, 7,000 street lamps, 33 churches, 10 newspapers and a university.

Four of the signers of the Constitution (named Butler, McHenry, Fitzsimmons and Peterson) were born in Ireland.