Enjoy the excitement and convenience of Twitter by participating in a challenge that blends 21st-century technology with 18th-century American history.
In commemoration of Constitution Day in September, the National Constitution Center presents the Twitter Convention, a virtual reenactment of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787. History buffs with a knack for social networking get a firsthand look into the private proceedings surrounding the signing of the Constitution. A mystery tweeter, one of 55 men who attended the Convention, tweets educational, yet cryptic clues to hint at his identity. By following the daily tweets full of personal insight into the good, bad and ugly moments of the Convention, contestants deduce the identity of the secret delegate.
To assist contestants in their quest to debunk the mysterious tweeter, the National Constitution Center produced trading cards depicting biographical information and important historical contributions of 12 of the delegates who attended the Convention. Distributed to the National Historical Park and National Constitution Center, these cards are full of helpful tidbits for discovering the secret delegate’s identity.
Locate the Twitter Convention feed at http://www.twitter.com/SecretDelegate, begin decoding the mysterious tweets, and journey back to 18th-century America to uncover the identity of this political figure. Although the secret delegate began tweeting on May 25, the challenge doesn’t conclude until September 25, so there is plenty of time to catch up and solve this mystery. E-mail guesses to ConstitutionDay@constitutioncenter.org to find out if they are correct.
The Twitter Convention ends on Friday, September 17, with a variety of Constitution-themed events at the Constitution Center. Throughout the day, visitors participate in interactive activities such as a recitation of the Preamble, printing and calligraphy demonstrations, and a birthday party for the Constitution — with cake! For a full schedule of Constitution Day events, visit http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_progs_At_the_Center.aspx.