In commemoration of Constitution Day (held this year on Saturday, September 17), we have created a library guide featuring foundational documents in American history and government.
This guide provides links to key documents including the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Federalist Papers, among many others. South Carolina Act 26 of 2021, better known as the REACH Act, requires undergraduate students to complete a three-credit course that involves reading these and other founding documents.
This guide also offers background information on the REACH Act, including related guidelines from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE); resources documenting segregation, integration, the Civil Rights Movement, and other aspects of the African American Freedom Struggle; additional readings on Indigenous People's rights and justice; and a list of current USC Upstate courses that fulfill REACH Act requirements.
In the United States, Constitution Day (also known as Constitution and Citizenship Day) is observed annually on September 17. This marks the date that delegates to the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787 submitted their final version of the U.S. Constitution for signature.
“'I'm Running for President Because We Need One': The Dizzy Gillespie for President Movement and the Black Freedom Struggle, 1963-1964” – a talk by Dr. Nicholas Gaffney