As summer morphs into fall, Sept. 17 might seem like just another day, but for American history enthusiasts, it’s an important date worth celebrating.

On this day 226 years ago, after four months of proposing and compromising ideas, 39 men gathered in Philadelphia to sign the final draft of the United States Constitution.

The Constitutional Convention’s framework has stood the test of time, creating a government of checks-and-balances, self-government and, with the addition of a Bill of Rights, protection of the rights of American citizens, said Secretary of State Kim Wyman.

Although not a federal holiday like the 4th of July, Constitution Day is a day to commemorate the mother of all American documents and the folks that made constitutional rights and principles, like freedom of speech and judicial review, possible, she said.

For more information about Constitution Day, check out the Library of Congress Blog or the Constitution Center.