Sep 17, 2024
September 17 is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the date when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 adjourned with a new charter for the new American Republic.
In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring educational institutions who receive federal funding to provide their communities with information concerning the U.S. Constitution. For nearly two decades, as part of Seattle Pacific University’s commemoration, we have been fortunate to have Professor Emeritus of History Bill Woodward offer his expert analysis of one of our country’s most important documents.
His essay, titled "First But Also Sixteenth? The Vice Presidency, the Constitution, and the 2024 Election," examines the intriguing development of the second-in-command from its brief mention in the original charter of 1787 to its constitutional standing today, highlighting several well-known and not so well-known stories of America’s vice presidents.