After defeating Great Britain during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), America’s Founders realized that their new country needed a strong government. Representatives from the states spent nearly four months drafting the Constitution. The final text was handwritten on parchment, which is made from animal skin. On September 17, 1787, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and 37 others signed it. (September 17 is known as Constitution Day.)
Today, those signatures are still visible, but the document itself is very fragile. Exposure to the air or moisture and changes in temperature can damage the parchment. In addition, too much light can cause the ink to fade.
The high-tech case protects the Constitution from these dangers. Today, it is on display at the National Archives Museum, alongside two of America’s other founding documents (see below).
The Constitution also needs to be protected from threats such as theft or natural disasters. For many years, the case was lowered into a vault under the floor each night. Government officials won’t say whether this is still done, because their security plans are top secret. But they do have safety measures in place to ensure that the Constitution can be seen by the people it represents for years to come.
“Being able to stand in front of the actual document is pretty cool,” says Alice Kamps, who works at the National Archives Museum. “You feel like you can almost touch history.”