Was that….James Madison?

In what has become a tradition spanning several years now, Dr. Dianna Lindsay’s History class and Williamsburg Christian Academy held a special Constitution Day celebration last Friday, September 16th, with a special guest, founding father James Madison himself…sort of.  In conjunction with the event yearly in her class, Dr. Lindsay plays the part of one of the founding fathers, right down to the wigs, resplendent topcoats and ties characteristic of the period. This year it was James Madison’s turn in the rotation.

Constitution Day (also Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in Philadelphia. With this year’s celebration falling on a Saturday, the date of the WCA celebration was moved back to the 16th, a school day. Constitution Day kicks off Constitution Week, which lasts this year from September 17th-24th.

For the WCA recognition of Constitution Day, students in the class took a special Constitution quiz and a quiz was also sent home to parents. In addition, each student received a pocket version of the Constitution from James Madison her….er, himself.

WCA celebrants learned some ‘Fun Facts’ about the Constitution, such as the fact that after the signing, a proclamation from President George Washington and a congressional resolution established the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26th, 1789, to give ‘thanks’ for the new Constitution, and which would give rise to Thanksgiving Day as we know it today.

A small group from Williamsburg Christian traveled to First Baptist Church in Colonial Williamsburg on Saturday to ring the Freedom Bell in conjunction with the Constitution Day events.