(Newsweek)
Although all 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention played an important role in the birth of the U.S. government, only one man is known as the father of the Constitution: James Madison.
Tuesday marks Constitution Day in the United States, the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution in 1787. Originating in 1940 with a congressional joint resolution, the holiday was first celebrated on the third Sunday in May. Congress later moved the date to September 17 to commemorate the Constitution's signing.
In 2004, it became known as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, honoring both the founding document and everyone who has attained American citizenship.
After the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation left the U.S. federal government weak, without enough ability to manage the federal debt or maintain a national army. Madison was an advocate for a strong federal government, and he presented his founding ideas to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in what was called the "Virginia Plan." Read more
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