National Constitution Center

09/05/2026

in 1774, the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to consider its reaction to the British government’s restraints on trade and representative government after the Boston Tea Party.

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On September 5, 1774, the first Continental Congress in the United States met in Philadelphia to consider its reaction to the British government’s restraints on trade and representative government after the Boston Tea Party.

09/05/2026

Join us for a special keynote conversation examining the intersection of the First Amendment and artificial intelligence. Technology and constitutional scholar Jonathan Zittrain and Distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School Ellen P. Goodman will examine how constitutional values can help guide emerging technologies and what the future of free expression looks like in the digital age.

Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, will moderate.

📆 September 9, 1:15 p.m.
📍In person or 💻 online

Register to attend: https://constitutioncenter.org/calendar/first-amendment-day

09/04/2026

From California to the New York island, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters; This land was made for you and me. But how can travel and nature spark civic curiosity?🌲🌎

This visitor to our studio shares her story, starting with camping trips to Yosemite with her father and leading to a lifelong love of seeing the places where history happened. ⛺ 📖🗺️

Learn more about our Civic Spark studio and record your own story. Visit constitutioncenter.org/civicspark

09/04/2026

In 1774, the Continental Congress convenes for the first time in Philadelphia. See this 1775 resolution passed by the Congress in our exhibit, .

Learn more: https://ow.ly/QJW250ZIlBm

Credit: Courtesy of Independence National Historical Park Collection, Philadelphia, PA

09/04/2026

Explore your freedoms for free!

We’re teaming up with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to host our inaugural , a new annual event celebrating five freedoms of the First Amendment and their role in our civic life.

📅 WHEN: Wednesday, September 9, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
📍WHERE: National Constitution Center
🎟️ Museum admission will be FREE courtesy of Knight Foundation.

Plan your visit: https://ow.ly/JaoT50ZIQVK

09/03/2026

This week we're celebrating our Philadelphia first at the NCC: the first signing of the U.S. Constitution.

Meet the artist who created our Firstival statue and learn more about the upcoming celebration honoring the document our institution is dedicated to:

The nation’s founding document was signed right here in Philadelphia. Here is how the U.S. Constitution has continued to shape the nation.

09/03/2026

1838, Frederick Douglass escapes from slavery, aided by a disguise and job skills he had learned while forced to work in Baltimore shipyards.

Douglass posed as a sailor when he grabbed a train in Baltimore that was headed to Philadelphia. He was also given papers from a freed black sailor to help in the journey.

"My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an 'old salt,'” he later said in his autobiography.

09/03/2026

Where did America’s understanding of rights and liberties come from, and how did the first 10 amendments become the Bill of Rights we know today?

This week on , Mary Sarah Bilder joins Julie Silverbrook to trace the history of rights and liberties from the English tradition through the American Revolution, the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, and the adoption of the first ten amendments. They explore how those amendments came to be known collectively as the Bill of Rights and how their role in American law and constitutional culture evolved over time.

Listen now:

Podcast for Mary Sarah Bilder on the Origins of the Bill of Rights from the National Constitution Center

09/02/2026

in 1789, President George Washington signs into law an act creating the Treasury Department. The move created a constitutional debate about federal powers that remains today.

Read to learn more:

On this day in 1789, George Washington signed into law the act that created the Treasury Department. The move became crucial to America’s survival, but it also created a constitutional debate about federal powers that remains with us today.

09/02/2026

Trivia night at a museum. Game night at a library. Cocktails and crafts at a historic site.

As young people grow up, many of the built-in invitations to civic institutions—school field trips, classroom programs, family outings—begin to disappear. So how do we create new ones?

For older teens, young adults, and adults without children, joyful social experiences can offer a different kind of on-ramp: a reason to come with friends, spend time together, and discover that museums, libraries, historic sites, and other civic institutions have something for them, too.

In her latest Civic Decade essay, National Constitution Center Chief Content and Learning Officer Julie Silverbrook argues that programs like trivia nights, after-hours events, crafts, concerts, and games shouldn’t sit at the edges of our work. Done with purpose, they can help civic institutions reach new audiences, build relationships, and create pathways toward lifelong civic learning.

https://ow.ly/4pvU50ZIizt

09/01/2026

in 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr is acquitted of treason charges. The trial was truly the “Trial of the Century” in its time and one of the first tests of the Constitution’s Treason Clause.

Read to explore the trial:

It was on this day in 1807 that former Vice President Aaron Burr was acquitted of treason charges. The trial was truly a “Trial of the Century” in its time and one of the first big tests of the Constitution’s Treason clause.

09/01/2026

How can families make civic learning part of everyday life? How can they inspire children to turn their concerns into action?

This week on , Lindsey Cormack joins Julie Silverbrook to discuss how to help children build civic know-how, ask questions, engage with different perspectives, and participate in their communities. They discuss Cormack’s book, "How to Raise a Citizen (And why it’s up to you to do it)," and the role parents and caregivers can play in raising the next generation of informed and engaged citizens.

🎧 Listen: https://ow.ly/Og7n50ZHIbs

09/01/2026

Kindness. Courage. Curiosity. Teamwork. Every child has the power to make a difference. 🦸

We're proud to announce Be a Civic Hero!, our first experience built especially for young children and their families, inviting them to discover their civic strengths and the many ways they can make a difference in their communities.

Created in partnership with Playful Learning Landscapes and Watchdog Project Management, the free outdoor installation transforms the Center’s front lawn into a playful space for learning, exploration, and connection. Families are invited to create their own civic heroes, connect constitutional principles to everyday life, explore the historic landmarks of Independence Mall and enjoy Constitution-themed books through a new little free library.

On Wednesday, September 16 starting at 2 p.m. ET, join us to celebrate the opening with outdoor story time, civic hero crafts, cooperative lawn games, and other child-friendly activities inside and outside the museum.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/e6aP50ZHFAX

08/30/2026

in 1910, Clarence Earl Gideon is born. Learn about his landmark case (1963) and see his handwritten petition to the Supreme Court in our exhibit. ⚙️

Credit: National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.

https://ow.ly/3Kgg50ZupL9

08/30/2026

in 1967, the Senate confirms Thurgood Marshall as the first Black person to serve as a Supreme Court justice.

Learn about Marshall's legacy on on : https://ow.ly/6r2V50ZET19

08/29/2026

in 1786, a popular uprising begins in Massachusetts. Shays’ Rebellion was one of several critical events that led to the calling of a the following year in Philadelphia.

Learn more on :

On this day in 1786, a popular uprising began in Massachusetts. Shays’ Rebellion was one of several critical events that led to the calling of a Constitutional Convention the following year in Philadelphia.

08/28/2026

in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous “I Have a Dream” speech as part of the March on Washington.



How much do you know about the speech and the events that led up to it?

It was on this day in 1963 that Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech as part of the March on Washington. So how much do you know about the speech and the events that led up to it?

08/28/2026

In honor of America's 250th anniversary, presents a fall lineup bringing together leading scholars, authors, journalists, and public officials. They'll examine the people, ideas, and debates that shaped the nation and continue to influence American civic life.

Featured topics include:

📲 The First Amendment and Artificial Intelligence
📅 Wednesday, September 9 | 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Jonathan Zittrain and Ellen Goodman, presented with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

📢 The First at 250 With Governors Spencer Cox and Josh Shapiro
📅 Wednesday, September 9 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET
📍In Person at the Kimmel Center
🎤Featuring Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), moderated by Lulu Garcia-Navarro, presented by Knight Foundation in partnership with Disagree Better

🏛️What the Founders Learned From the Ancients
📅 Thursday, September 10 | 5 – 6:30 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Caroline Winterer, presented with the University of Pennsylvania Department of Classical Studies

🔍Rediscovering America’s Forgotten Founders: Architects of the Constitution
📅 Thursday, September 17 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Carol Berkin, Jane E. Calvert, Scott S. Greenberger, and Jesse Wegman

🧑‍⚖️Previewing the Supreme Court’s 2026–2027 Term
📅 Monday, September 28 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Masha Hansford, Amy Howe, and Greg Stohr

⛪The Holy Experiment: Religious Liberty, Pennsylvania, and the Making of America
📅 Tuesday, September 29 | 5 – 6 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Marci Hamilton and Randall Miller

📖 : “The Hero Returns: Lafayette and the Legacy of Revolution”
📅 Tuesday, October 6, 2026 | 1 – 2 p.m.
💻 Online
🎤Featuring Richard Brookhiser

📜 The Living Declaration: A Biography of America’s Founding Text
📅 Wednesday, October 21 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Ted Widmer, Eric Slauter, and Lucas Morel

✍️Declaring Independence: From British Subjects to an American People
📅 Monday, December 7 | 6 – 7 p.m. ET
📍In Person and 💻 Online
🎤Featuring Lindsay M. Chervinsky and Jane Kamensky

📆 Explore the full schedule of upcoming programs and register to attend now: https://ow.ly/P6JP50ZGAa5

08/28/2026

in 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivers his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Visit to see a pennant from the march in our gallery.

Credit: Loan, Freedom Forum’s Newseum Collection

https://ow.ly/TH7R50ZupIq

08/28/2026

2008, Barack Obama becomes the first Black person to accept a major party’s presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Visit to see a commemorative box of macaroni and cheese from the 2008 DNC on display in our exhibit, . ⚙️🧀

Credit: National Constitution Center Collection

https://ow.ly/wxq650ZupF8