2023 Constitution Day Events
To mark the day, a number of presentations will occur during September. All events are open to the public.
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Noon
Wisconsin Idea Room
Room 159, Education Building, 1000 Bascom Mall
Madison, WI 53706 United States
Public Lecture: Freedom from Religion or Freedom for Religion? Religious Liberty and the American Founding
Does the First Amendment guarantee us the right to be free from religion in the public square? Does it guarantee religious individuals and institutions the right to be exempt from otherwise valid laws that burden their religious beliefs and practices? In this lecture, Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz (Notre Dame) will explore our “first freedom” in light of the thought of America’s founding fathers.
Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz is the Tocqueville Professor of Political Science and a Concurrent Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame. Professor Muñoz is author of Religious Liberty and the American Founding: Natural Rights and the Original Meanings of the First Amendment Religion Clauses (Chicago, 2022) and God and the Founders: Madison, Washington, and Jefferson (Cambridge, 2009).
Organizer: The Center for the Study of Liberal Democracy, UW Law School
Visit The Center for Liberal Democracy for more information.
Constitutional Resources
Constitution of the United States
Produced by the National Archives and Records Administration, this site includes a transcript of the Constitution, images of the original document and other facts and background information.
Teaching with documents: observing Constitution Day
Also produced by the National Archives and Records Administration, this site offers activities, lesson plans and other information for teachers and students at all levels.
National Constitution Center
Center for the Study of the American Constitution
This non-profit, non-partisan center is dedicated to serving scholars, educators, and students who are interested in the American Constitution in its historical context.
President George W. Bush signed a bill on December 8, 2004 (Public Law 108-447) that designates every September 17 as Constitution Day. All institutions of higher education that receive federal funding are required to prepare a program to inform students about the U.S. Constitution.