On September 25, 1789, Congress transmitted to the state Legislatures twelve proposed amendments to the Constitution. Numbers three through twelve were adopted by the states to become the United States (U.S.) Bill of Rights, effective December 15, 1791. Show
James Madison proposed the U.S. Bill of Rights. It largely responded to the Constitution's influential opponents, including prominent Founding Fathers, who argued that the Constitution should not be ratified because it failed to protect the basic principles of human liberty. The U.S. Bill of Rights was influenced by George Mason's 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, the 1689 English Bill of Rights, works of the Age of Enlightenment pertaining to natural rights, and earlier English political documents such as the Magna Carta (1215). Two additional articles were proposed to the States; only the final ten articles were ratified quickly and correspond to the First through Tenth Amendments to the Constitution. The first Article, dealing with the number and apportionment of U.S. Representatives, never became part of the Constitution. The second Article, limiting the ability of Congress to increase the salaries of its members, was ratified two centuries later as the 27th Amendment. Though they are incorporated into the document known as the "Bill of Rights", neither article establishes a right as that term is used today. For that reason, and also because the term had been applied to the first ten amendments long before the 27th Amendment was ratified, the term "Bill of Rights" in modern U.S. usage means only the ten amendments ratified in 1791. The United States Bill of Rights plays a central role in American law and government, and remains a fundamental symbol of the freedoms and culture of the nation. One of the original fourteen copies of the U.S. Bill of Rights is on public display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Read the Bill of Rights:Amendment I (1): Freedom of religion, speech, and the press; rights of assembly and petition Amendment II (2): Right to bear arms Amendment III (3): Housing of soldiers Amendment IV (4): Search and arrest warrants Amendment V
(5): Rights in criminal cases Amendment VI (6): Rights to a fair trial Amendment VII (7): Rights in civil cases Amendment VIII (8): Bails, fines, and punishments Amendment IX (9): Rights retained by the people Amendment X
(10): Powers retained by the states and the people Back To Top Home |
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Returns Policy | Site Map © Oak Hill Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Oak Hill Publishing Company. Box 6473, Naperville, IL 60567 Is the Bill of Rights in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence?The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. It defines citizens' and states' rights in relation to the Government.
Where are the Declaration of Independence Constitution and the Bill of Rights today?The National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, is home to the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. These founding documents, along with the Lawrence F.
How does the Declaration of Independence relate to the Constitution?The Declaration of Independence, which officially broke all political ties between the American colonies and Great Britain, set forth the ideas and principles behind a just and fair government, and the Constitution outlined how this government would function.
What is the Bill of Rights in the Constitution?The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and religion.
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