A group of local citizens gathered on the steps of the Pickens County Courthouse the afternoon of Thursday, September 17, 2026 to celebrate Constitution Day on the 239^th anniversary of the 1787 signing of the United States Constitution. Some of the citizens represented the Pickens County America 250 Committee, the Pickens County Historical Society, the Fort Prince George Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and the Dicey Langston Society, Children of the American Revolution (CAR). Following a brief ceremony, all in attendance rang bells at precisely 4:00 p.m., the same time that church bells rang throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 17, 1787, following the signing of the Constitution at Independence Hall.

Bells Across America is an annual nationwide event held at 4:00 p.m. on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution. It marks the beginning of Constitution Week, which will run through September 23. Constitution Week has been observed for 70 years, since 1956, when then President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law a Congressional resolution which had been petitioned by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The four South Carolinians who signed the United States Constitution were, in alphabetical order, Pierce Butler, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and John Rutledge (for whom Fort Rutledge, in present-day Clemson, was named).

Carolyn Nations, who serves as Chair of the Pickens County America 250 Committee, welcomed everyone to this year’s ceremony, held on the steps of the Pickens County Courthouse, near the recently planted Liberty Tree. “We gather today to remember a moment that changed the course of the nation,” she said. “On September 17, 1787, after much debate, disagreements, compromise, and careful consideration, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention completed their work in Philadelphia. Thirty nine names appear on the Constitution that was signed that day. Their work began with words that still speak to us across more than two centuries – ‘we the people’. These three words remind us that our Constitution was created not merely for government but for people whom government served. Today, we remember that history, we give thanks for the liberties we enjoy, and, at exactly 4:00, we’re going to ring bells.”

She then prayed: “Father, we give you thanks for the blessings of liberty and for those who established a government founded upon law. We give thanks for the wisdom, courage, and perseverance of those who came before us. Help us to be faithful stewards of freedom entrusted to our generation. Bless our nation, our state, our community, and especially the children who stand among us today. May they learn the story of liberty, cherish it, and carry it forward. Guide us always in justice, wisdom, humility, and peace. Amen.”

She then led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.

Nations then continued, “Why September 17 matters: 239 years ago today, the Constitutional Convention came to its conclusion in Philadelphia. Fifty five delegates attended the Convention at some point during that summer. George Washington presided. James Madison kept the remarkable notes that allow us to understand much that happened during the Convention. Benjamin Franklin, at 81, was its oldest delegate. Thirty nine names ultimately appeared on the signed Constitution, but September 17 was not the end of the story. The Constitution still had to be presented to the states and ratified. Americans would debate it vigorously, some supporting it, others fearing that the new national government would become too powerful and objecting that the document lacked a Bill of Rights. Those debates eventually helped lead to the adoption of the Bill of Rights.

“That is a part of what makes the Constitution story so important. It’s a story of people who disagreed. It’s a story of debate. It’s a story of compromise. And it’s a story of a nation attempting to create a government strong enough to endure while placing limits upon governmental power. The Constitution they signed in 1787 became the framework of the government of the United States.

“And, now, I’m talking to you, the two children here today, and, today, I especially want to speak to y’all. You may look at the Constitution and see an old piece of parchment covered with beautiful writing. But the Constitution is much more than something kept safely behind glass. It is your story, too. One day, your generation will be responsible for this country. You will vote. You will serve your community. Some of you may become teachers, judges, soldiers, firefighters, mayors, lawmakers, or perhaps even a President. But, whatever you become, you will be a citizen, and good citizenship begins by understanding the freedoms we have inherited and the responsibilities that come with them. That is why we are here today. We remember so that you will remember.”

She asked that, at the appointed time, everyone ring their bells “vigorously, so that people can hear us all through town.

“Generation after generation,” she continued, “’We the people’ – those words have been handed down to us. And, today, we promise to hand them to the next generation.

“We must participate. We must tell the story. If liberty is to be secure, we have to be a part of what happens to make it happen. Go vote.

“Today, the bells will ring once again for liberty throughout the nation. May we never forget what they represent. May we never stop teaching the story. And may the words ‘We the people’ continue to call every generation to citizenship, service, and loving America.”