According to a few of the 75+ blogs in my blog roll at the moment, today is an important day in US History. It is not only Constitution Day, but also the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam.
Constitution Day this year marks the 222nd anniversary of the US Constitution, signed by 39 men on this day in 1787. The first draft of the Constitution was written by James Madison, but several changes were made over the course of the Constitutional Convention. These changes were eventually recorded by the Committee of Style and Agreement, which incorporated the inclusion of the preamble. The Constitution did not become active until June 21, 1788, when it was ratified by the ninth state (New Hampshire). (from the Constitution Center site)
It is also the 147th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. This 12-hour battle of the Civil War that claimed the lives of over 20,000 Americans, making it the bloodiest day in American history. Despite the 100,000+ troops engaged, both the Union and Confederate armies held their ground until both withdrew. Although there was no one victor, General Lee's retreat back to Virginia provided President Lincoln with the opportunity to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. (from the National Park site for Antietam).
I grew up about an hour or so from Antietam, and have visited the battleground several times. I even drag visiting friends along with me (I can lure them with the promise of Waffle House, of course). If you haven't had a chance to visit this or other battlesites, I highly recommend it - it really is an amazing experience. Well, if you're in to that kind of thing, which all of us Osprey-ites are, right?