Here are 9 curious facts you may not be aware of regarding the Constitution:
1. The U.S. Constitution is the shortest national constitution in the world at 4,400 words.
2. Over 11,000 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed, only 27 have been ratified.
3. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the constitution at 81. He died at age 84.
4. George Washington initially proposed a ‘day of thanks’ or Thanksgiving Day as a way to honor the Constitution.
5. While drafting, the Constitution included a clause that would abolish slavery 20 years after its implementation.
6. Only 12 of the 13 colonies were present during the drafting of the Constitution. Rhode Island did not want to participate and was the last to sign on May 29, 1790.
7. Independence Hall, where the Constitution was signed, is also where the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation were signed several years earlier.
8. The iconic first words of the Constitution, ‘We the people of the United States,’ originally listed each individual state from north to south instead of ‘the United States.’
9. Gouverneur Morris, a delegate from Pennsylvania is usually credited as the ‘Penman of the Constitution.’ Actually, a man named Jacob Shallus – assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly – penned most of the document.
From https://ivn.us/2014/09/17/little-known-facts-about-the-us-constitution-for-constitution-day/
