Isabella Carter
The United States Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was drafted in 1789 and ratified in 1791. The amendments were designed to address objections raised by Anti-Federalists and win support in both houses of Congress and the states. James Madison, who initially opposed the idea of a bill of rights, introduced a list of amendments to the Constitution on June 8, 1789. The original 12 amendments were narrowed down to 10, which were ratified on December 15, 1791, and became known as the Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date proposed | June 8, 1789 |
| Date approved | September 25, 1789 |
| Number of amendments proposed | 17 |
| Number of amendments approved | 12 |
| Number of amendments ratified | 10 |
| Date ratified | December 15, 1791 |
| Location drafted | New York City |
| Building drafted | Federal Hall |
| Number of amendments since | 19 |
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What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights was drafted in 1789
The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was drafted in 1789. The amendments were proposed by James Madison, who had helped draft the original Constitution. Madison's initial proposal included 19 amendments, which were narrowed down to 12 by the Senate and House of Representatives.
Madison's amendments were designed to win support in both houses of Congress and the states, focusing on rights-related changes while ignoring suggestions that would have structurally altered the government. The amendments were also intended to address objections raised by Anti-Federalists, who had argued that a strong national government would threaten individual rights.
The 12 amendments were proposed to the state legislatures by the First Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789. Of these, 10 were ratified and became the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. These amendments defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution, guaranteeing essential rights and civil liberties such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and freedom of religion.
The Bill of Rights built upon the foundation established by the original Constitution, further empowering the people and protecting their freedoms. The process of incorporating the Bill of Rights into state and local governments began in the 1860s with the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment.
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It was introduced in Federal Hall, New York City
The Bill of Rights was introduced, debated, and ratified in Federal Hall, New York City, which was then both the capital of the United States and the capital of the state of New York. The building, which stood at the intersection of Wall Street and Broad Street, was originally constructed as New York's second City Hall from 1699 to 1703, and it served as the first capitol building of the United States under the Constitution.
Federal Hall witnessed many significant events in the early history of the United States. George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States on the building's balcony in 1789, and the first U.S. Congress convened there. The first Congress was a triumph for Federalists, with 20 Federalists in the Senate and 48 in the House. James Madison, who would later become President, was among the Virginia delegation to the House.
The Bill of Rights was introduced in Federal Hall during the first Congress. Throughout the summer of 1789, Congress debated proposed amendments to the Constitution. On June 8, 1789, James Madison, once an opponent of the Bill of Rights, introduced a list of amendments to the Constitution, and he persistently pushed for its passage. The House passed a joint resolution containing 17 amendments based on Madison's proposal, and the Senate modified the resolution to consist of 12 amendments. On September 25, 1789, a joint House and Senate Conference Committee settled the remaining disagreements. On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent copies of the 12 amendments to the states for ratification.
The state of New York signed and sealed its ratification of the Bill of Rights on March 27, 1790, and sent it to the Federal Government. New York's ratification document is unique because the state legislature copied the 12 articles into the text of its legislation ratifying the Bill of Rights. This document is now a Federal record, held in the National Archives.
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James Madison proposed 19 amendments
The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was proposed following the 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution. The amendments were designed to address objections raised by Anti-Federalists, who were concerned that a strong national government was a threat to individual rights.
James Madison, initially an opponent of the Bill of Rights, introduced a list of 19 amendments to the Constitution on June 8, 1789. Madison, who was then an elected member from Virginia of the First Congress's House of Representatives, had come to appreciate the importance voters attached to these protections. He focused on rights-related amendments, ignoring suggestions that would have structurally changed the government.
Madison's proposed amendments included a provision to extend the protection of some of the Bill of Rights to the states. However, the amendments that were finally submitted for ratification applied only to the federal government. The first of Madison's original 12 amendments would have established how members of the House of Representatives would be apportioned to the states. It was drafted to ensure that members of the House would continue to represent small constituencies even as the general population grew. The second of Madison's 12 amendments forbade Congress from giving itself a pay raise.
The Senate consolidated and trimmed Madison's proposed 19 amendments down to 12, which were approved by Congress and sent out to the states by President Washington in October 1789. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these amendments, now known as the "Bill of Rights."
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10 amendments were ratified in 1791
The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was ratified on December 15, 1791. The amendments were proposed by James Madison, initially an opponent of the Bill of Rights, who later recognised the importance of enshrining citizens' rights in the Constitution. Madison's amendments were designed to win support in both houses of Congress and the states, focusing on rights-related amendments and ignoring suggestions for structural changes to the government.
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. Of these 12 articles, 10 were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791, and became known as the Bill of Rights. The ratified Articles 3–12 constitute the first 10 amendments of the Constitution. Article 1, concerning the number of constituents for each Representative, was never ratified, and Article 2, concerning varying the compensation for Senators and Representatives, was ratified in 1992 as the 27th Amendment.
The amendments of the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the right to publish, practice religion, possess firearms, and assemble, as well as other natural and legal rights. They also included explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people.
The concepts codified in these amendments built upon those in earlier documents, including the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), the Northwest Ordinance (1787), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and the Magna Carta (1215). The Bill of Rights was introduced in Federal Hall, originally New York's city hall, which served as the first capitol building of the United States.
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The Bill of Rights was necessary to win over states that were sceptical of a federal government
The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was proposed on September 25, 1789, by the First Congress of the United States. The Bill of Rights was necessary to win over states that were sceptical of a federal government, as it addressed concerns raised by Anti-Federalists and aimed to limit the powers of the federal government while protecting individual liberties.
Anti-Federalists, including Elbridge Gerry, who wrote the popular Anti-Federalist tract, "Hon. Mr. Gerry's Objections," argued for the need for a bill of rights to safeguard individual liberty and ensure that power remained with state and local governments. They believed that a strong national government posed a threat to individual rights and that the President could become king-like. Thomas Jefferson, writing to Madison, advocated for a Bill of Rights, stating, "Half a loaf is better than no bread. If we cannot secure all our rights, let us secure what we can."
James Madison, initially an opponent of the Bill of Rights, introduced a list of amendments to the Constitution on June 8, 1789, recognising the importance voters attached to these protections. Madison's amendments were designed to gain support in both houses of Congress and the states, focusing on rights-related changes while avoiding structural alterations to the government. The amendments were necessary to address the concerns of states sceptical of federal power and to secure their support for the Constitution.
The Bill of Rights added specific guarantees of personal freedoms to the Constitution, including freedom of speech, the right to publish, practice religion, possess firearms, and assemble. It also explicitly declared that all powers not granted to the federal government by the Constitution were reserved for the states or the people, addressing the concerns of those who wanted power to remain with state governments.
The amendments proposed by Madison were passed by the House and modified by the Senate, resulting in 12 amendments that were sent to the states for approval. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified ten of these amendments, now collectively known as the "Bill of Rights." This process, known as incorporation, extended the protections of the Bill of Rights to state and local governments, ensuring that individual liberties were protected across the nation.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bill of Rights was written in 1789.
The Bill of Rights was introduced on September 25, 1789.
The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791.
James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights.
