USC Aiken Celebrates the U.S. Constitution

Aiken, SC (09/20/2022) — In the week leading up to Constitution Day, the University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) celebrated the lasting impact of the U.S. Constitution.

As the first permanent constitution of its kind, the U.S. Constitution and the ideas encompassed within it have influenced the constitutions of other countries throughout the world.

"The U.S. Constitution, which we are celebrating today, remains the oldest still-functioning written constitution in the world and has provided inspiration for countless other democracies including the fledgling French Revolutionary state," said Dr. Daniel Heimmermann, Chancellor of USC Aiken, Professor of History and an expert in French history. "The concepts of popular sovereignty, separation of powers and judicial review that it embodies has enabled the American system of government to function for more than 235 years."

During Constitution Week, Dr. Heimmermann presented the keynote address. The address focused on the French Constitution and Revolution as well as the U.S. Constitution's influence on the ideas of French revolutionaries.

The influence of the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution are evident throughout the French people's attempts at establishing a new system of governance.

Though the French revolutionaries established a constitutional monarchy, they avidly observed the creation of the new republic in America and hoped to legitimize their revolution by following the example of American revolutionaries.

France's failure to produce a workable and lasting system is a testament to the unity needed to establish and maintain the system Americans have preserved for over 200 years. Unlike France, post-revolutionary America was united in the opinion of how their new government should function and has remained united throughout the years.

On Sept. 17, 1787, the U.S Constitution was signed by 39 delegates. Today, the U.S. Constitution is regarded as the oldest codified constitution in the world.

"Constitution Week is the moment when USCA honors the US Constitution and seeks to help students and the broader community understand and appreciate it more deeply," said Dr. Elizabeth Georgian, Department Chair and Associate Professor of History at USC Aiken.

To learn more about USC Aiken's Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy and the department's future events, please visit www.usca.edu/history-political-science-philosophy.

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