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I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the period beginning September 17 and ending September 23, 1956, as Constitution Week; and I urge the people of the United States to observe that week with appropriate ceremonies and activities in their schools and churches, and in other suitable places. I also urge them at that time to give solemn and grateful thought to that eventful week in September 1787 when our Constitution was signed, delivered to the Continental Congress, and made known to the people of the country, thus laying the foundation for the birth of a new Nation.

--President Dwight Eisenhower, Proclamation 3151 establishing Constitution Week, August 29, 1956

Celebrate Freedom Week coincides with Constitution Week, established by the U.S. Congress to encourage all Americans to learn about the Constitution. Both Celebrate Freedom Week and Constitution Week focus on September 17, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution. 

Each year, during the week that includes September 17, Texas schools honor Celebrate Freedom Week to highlight the values and ideals on which the United States was founded as well as the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the founding of the country. Students learn about the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.  Students also examine the relationship between the ideas in these documents and subsequent American history.

The resources below support Celebrate Freedom Week.

TEKS-Based Primary Resources

Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

--Preamble to the Declaration of Independence

To read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety and to learn more about this founding document please see the National Archives web page for .

The Constitution of the United States

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

--Preamble to the United States Constitution

To read the United States Constitution in its entirety and to learn more about this founding document please see the National Archives web page for .

The Bill of Rights

"The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confience in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution."

--Preamble to the Bill of Rights

To read the Bill of Rights in its entirety and to learn more about this founding document please see the National Archives web page for .

Additional Primary Source Documents

For additional primary source documents that highlight pivotal moments related to Celebrate Freedom Week, please see the National Archives web page for .

Additional Resources

The following websites provide additional resources related to Celebrate Freedom Week.

The Law-Related Education (LRE) Department of the State Bar of Texas serves as a catalyst to advance law related and civic education programs throughout the state through curriculum development and educator training. Their elementary resources provide Celebrate Freedom lessons for elementary grades. The middle school and high school resources contain links to civics programs.

This web page explains the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the origins of Constitution Day.  Primary sources and reference materials are provided. 

 
The National Archives and Records Administration celebrates this important day by presenting activities, lesson plans, and additional information. The national Archives also publishes a web page dedicated to America’s Founding Documents providing resources for the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights.

In celebration of Constitution Day, the Library of Congress has compiled a variety of materials and resources from across its collections.

United States Courts, a website sponsored by the Federal Judiciary, has developed a resource for teachers and students to explore the significance of U.S. citizenship and naturalization.