Preserving the American Heritage of Democracy and Liberty.
Featured Address
Justice Clarence Thomas — Civitas Institute at UT Austin
Leaders on the Constitution and the Republic
Recent remarks from national leaders on the Constitution, self-government, and the ideas that stand against it.
President Donald Trump
Remarks at the White House Conference on American History
Trump called the Constitution “the fulfillment of a thousand years of Western civilization” in remarks marking Constitution Day at the National Archives.
Vice President JD Vance
Remarks Accepting the Claremont Institute's Statesmanship Award
Vance addressed citizenship and constitutional self-government while accepting an award previously given to Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Opening Remarks at the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism
Rubio told representatives of more than 60 countries that “communism does not sound good in theory,” arguing it strips away everything that makes people aspire to greatness.
The Document That Secures Our Liberty
A foundational primer on the constitutional principles that have safeguarded American self-government for more than two centuries.
Articles I, II, and III divide the federal government into three co-equal branches — Congress writes the laws, the President enforces them, and the courts interpret them. Each branch checks the others so that, in James Madison's words, “ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”
Ratified in 1791, the first ten amendments guarantee the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press, the right to keep and bear arms, protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and due process of law — rights the Framers considered essential safeguards against government overreach.
The Constitution grants the federal government only specific, enumerated powers. The Tenth Amendment reserves everything else “to the States respectively, or to the people,” preserving local self-government as a check on federal authority.
Article VI makes the Constitution “the supreme Law of the Land,” binding on every official and citizen alike. No president, judge, or legislator stands above it — a principle the Framers saw as the foundation of ordered liberty.
Go Deeper on the Constitution
Primary documents and trusted scholarship for readers who want to study the Founding in greater depth.
The Constitution of the United States
National ArchivesThe complete, official text of the Constitution, digitized from the original 1787 parchment on permanent display in Washington, D.C.
The Interactive Constitution
National Constitution CenterA clause-by-clause guide with essays from scholars across the political spectrum, drawn from the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society.
The Federalist Papers
Library of CongressThe full text of all 85 essays Hamilton, Madison, and Jay wrote to explain and defend the Constitution during ratification.
The Heritage Guide to the Constitution
The Heritage FoundationClause-by-clause analysis of the Constitution's original meaning from more than 150 legal scholars and jurists.
Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution
Hillsdale College (free online course)A free twelve-lecture course on the Founding, the Constitution, and the challenges to constitutional government throughout American history.
Join the Semiquincentennial
Explore the national commemoration and find out how Texas communities are marking 250 years of American independence.
The Lone Star State marks the Semiquincentennial
From Dallas to Houston to Austin, Texas is turning 2026 into a statewide showcase of history and civic pride.
Fair Park, Dallas, TX
The 2026 State Fair leans into the Semiquincentennial with a patriotic theme — 24 days of pageantry, and the 55-foot Big Tex getting a patriotic makeover.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Houston, TX
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston debuts a new collection exploring the shared American experience as part of the city’s Semiquincentennial programming.
Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library, Austin, TX
A statewide exhibit spotlighting the areas where Texans’ contributions to the American founding and to the nation’s history shine.