Simone Lawson
The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, was ratified on December 15, 1791. However, the Bill of Rights, as presented to the states, originally included 12 amendments, not 10. Since 1789, more than 11,000 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress, with 27 amendments successfully being ratified.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of original amendments proposed | 12 |
| Number of original amendments ratified | 10 |
| Date proposed | September 25, 1789 |
| Date ratified | December 15, 1791 |
| Name of the ratified amendments | Bill of Rights |
| Number of proposals to amend the Constitution | More than 11,000 |
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What You'll Learn
12 amendments were originally proposed
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution that addressed the arguments most frequently levelled against it. This was in response to demands from several state conventions for a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that amendments would be offered.
The 12 amendments were proposed by James Madison, who initially started with 20 amendments with a separate preamble to the Bill of Rights. The House of Representatives debated and changed Madison's proposal, approving a version with 17 amendments. The proposed Bill of Rights then went to the Senate, where it was revised further and emerged as a document with 12 amendments.
However, only 10 of the 12 amendments were ratified and became the Bill of Rights in 1791. These 10 amendments defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution. The two amendments that did not make it through the state ratification process included the original First Amendment, which stated a formula for determining the size of the House of Representatives based on the population of the United States in 1789, and the original Second Amendment, which pertained to determining when Congress could change its pay.
The original Second Amendment was eventually ratified on May 7, 1992, as the 27th Amendment to the Constitution. The original First Amendment could still be revived, but it would not be practical in the modern era.
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10 were ratified
The Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, was ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution.
During the debates on the adoption of the Constitution, its opponents repeatedly charged that the document, as drafted, would open the way to tyranny by the central government. Fresh in their minds was the memory of the British violation of civil rights before and during the Revolution. They demanded a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Several state conventions in their formal ratification of the Constitution asked for such amendments; others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that the amendments would be offered.
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution that met the arguments most frequently advanced against it. However, only 10 of these amendments were ratified and became the Bill of Rights in 1791.
The first amendment, which concerned the number of constituents for each representative, was never ratified. The original second amendment, which was about determining when Congress could change its pay, took a very long time to be ratified and became the 27th Amendment in 1992.
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They defined citizens' rights
The original 12 amendments, of which 10 were ratified, became the Bill of Rights in 1791. They defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution.
The Bill of Rights was proposed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. The first 10 amendments were adopted and ratified simultaneously. The amendments were proposed to address concerns that the newly drafted Constitution would allow for tyranny by the central government. The memory of British violations of civil rights before and during the Revolution was still fresh in the minds of many Americans.
The first amendment, which concerned the number of constituents for each representative, was never ratified. The original second amendment, which addressed congressional pay, was ratified in 1992 as the 27th Amendment.
The 10 amendments that became the Bill of Rights included protections for freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government. The right to bear arms was also established, with the amendment stating that "a well-regulated Militia [was] necessary to the security of a free State." Citizens were also protected from the quartering of soldiers in their homes without consent and from unreasonable searches and seizures.
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The first 10 amendments were ratified simultaneously
The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791. They were proposed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and became part of the Constitution on December 15, 1791.
The Bill of Rights defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution. During the debates on the adoption of the Constitution, its opponents repeatedly charged that the document, as drafted, would open the way to tyranny by the central government. Fresh in their minds was the memory of the British violation of civil rights before and during the Revolution. They demanded a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. Several state conventions, in their formal ratification of the Constitution, asked for such amendments, while others ratified the Constitution with the understanding that the amendments would be offered.
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution that met the arguments most frequently advanced against it. However, only 10 of these were ratified and became the Bill of Rights. The original first and second amendments fell short of approval by enough states to be included in the Constitution. The original first amendment stated a formula for determining the size of the House of Representatives based on the population of the United States in 1789. The original second amendment was about determining when Congress could change its pay. This eventually became the 27th Amendment when it was ratified in 1992.
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27 amendments have been ratified in total
The Constitution of the United States is a remarkable and dynamic document that has undergone several amendments to stay relevant throughout the country's history. As of January 3, 2019, approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress since 1789. This averages out to around 200 amendment proposals during each two-year term of Congress.
Despite the high number of proposals, only 27 amendments have been successfully ratified and incorporated into the Constitution. The process of ratification is a challenging one, requiring the approval of three-fourths of the states (38 states since 1959) through their legislatures or state ratifying conventions.
The first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and form the foundation of citizens' rights in relation to the government. These amendments address crucial topics such as freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government.
The remaining 17 amendments were ratified individually over the following years, with the 27th and final amendment (as of January 2019) being added in 1992. This amendment addressed the issue of varying compensation for Senators and Representatives. The amendments cover a diverse range of topics, including election procedures, the prohibition of alcohol, and term limits for the presidency.
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Frequently asked questions
There were 12 original amendments proposed, but only 10 were ratified and became the Bill of Rights in 1791.
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, include the right to free speech, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and the right to peaceably assemble, among others.
Since 1789, more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed, with approximately 200 being proposed during each two-year term of Congress. Of these, 27 have been ratified and are part of the Constitution.
