The Bill of Rights
During the debates on the adoption of the Constitution, its opponents repeatedly
charged that the Constitution 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 therefore proposed
to the state legislatures 12 amendments to the Constitution that met arguments
most frequently advanced against it. The first two proposed amendments, which
concerned the number of constituents for each Representative and the compensation
of Congressmen, were not ratified. Articles 3 to 12, however, ratified by three-fourths
of the state legislatures, constitute the first 10 amendments of the Constitution,
known as the Bill of Rights.
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