Two documents are of paramount importance to American history: the Declaration of Independence, which forged the nation’s identity, and the United States Constitution, which set forth the framework for the federal government that is still in place today.

While Independence Day is a beloved national holiday, perhaps fewer people know about Constitution Week, an annual commemoration of the living document that upholds and protects the freedoms central to the American way of life. This year, the annual celebration began Sept. 17.

The Daughters of the American Revolution initiated the observance in 1955, when the organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate Sept. 17-23 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into Public Law 915.

The celebration’s goals are threefold: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to inform people that the Constitution is the basis of America’s great heritage and the foundation of the American way of life; and to emphasize U.S. citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the Constitution.

“The framers created a Constitution that translated into law the ideals upon which our nation was built,” said DAR President General Ann Dillon. “Their vision was so forward thinking that their words still guide us today. No American history education can be complete without a thorough understanding of the impact the Constitution has had on the lives of American citizens past and present.”

Among several Franklin County communities DAR has invited to hold Constitution Week recognitions, the Town of Hodges was the first to make an official proclamation honoring the week.

“It is the privilege and duty of the American people to commemorate the 231^st anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America,” the proclamation stated.

Hodges Mayor Joyce Saad presented the document at a town meeting and thanked the DAR for its contribution to the cause.