The Bill Of Rights By James Madison And Influenced By George Mason

On September 25, 1789, The Bill Of Rights was submitted to the states for approval, based on the previous Constitution's insufficient assurances for civil freedom, liberties and justice. Concerned that the Constitution neglected to clearly state the basic civil rights of the citizens of the United States, Anti- Federalists opposed the Articles of Confederations, which gave state governments more authority (“Bill of Rights, n.d.). As a result the first tem amendments commonly known as The Bill of Rights was approved by congress in 1791, undeniably guaranteeing citizens of The United States essential and important rights. The 1st and 2nd amendments are perhaps the most

The United States Bill of Rights came into being as a result of a promise made by the Fathers of Confederation to the states during the struggle for ratification of the Constitution in 1787-88. A great number of the states made as a condition for their ratification, the addition of amendments, which would guarantee citizens protection of their rights against the central government. Thus, we have a rather interesting situation in which the entrenchment of a bill of rights in the American Constitution was done by the virtual demand of the states, they themselves fearing a central government which was not legally constrained and restricted as far as its powers were concerned.

The bill of rights is a popular document that was not originally in the US constitution, but anti federalists wanted a bill of rights really bad because supposedly they were afraid of a strong central government. They did not want another king so some states refused the constitution until there was a bill of rights. Along with being afraid of a central government they wanted a limited government so that government could not control them. The anti federalists also thought the government would not protect their individual rights enough so they wanted a bill of rights.

The Anti-federalists opposed the Constitution because they believed it did not secure their rights and gave the government too much power. (2) Patrick Henry, an Anti-federalist from Virginia said that the constitution took away the states rights to be individual and to make separate decisions as well. (4) The Federalists saw the Anti-federalists complaint and realized that in order for the Constitution to be passed, they would need a Bill of Rights. (6) This Bill of Rights would give rights to the people and the states. 12 amendments were submitted for ratification by congress, but the states only ratified 10 of them. They became know as the Bill of Rights which made most

To further strengthen the rights of the people, The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791. With only the first ten amendments, it is no accident that two amendments, 9 and 10, specifically define the Constitutions purpose to protect rights, given to the government from the people; and the powers of the government are “only those delegated to it by the Constitution on behalf of the people” (Spalding, Page 145).

When the first ten amendments were added to the Constitution, they were planned to shield the public from the national government and not the states. States had their individual constitutions, and their laws only had to comply with their constitution. The founders of our country were very concerned about creating too powerful of a centralized government that might overstep on the given civil liberties of the public. As a protection of individual liberties, the Bill of Rights was formed. The Bill of Rights contains the first ten amendments of the Constitution and protect and preserve inalienable rights against abuse by the federal government.

James Madison presents the Bill of Rights to the First Federal Congress on June 8, 1789 (Primary Documents 1). The First Federal Congress then suggests the twelve amendments to the constitution to their state legislatures (Constitutional Politics in Ohio 1). The very first two articles weren't authorizing. Articles three through twelve were amended on December 15, 1791 (Constitutional Politics in Ohio 1). This was called The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights became the very first ten amendments to the United States Constitution (Primary Documents 1). Which means the powers delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited because of it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or even to the

In other words, the rights granted in the constitution are not the only rights we have, meaning that we have the right to more liberties but they have yet to be defined in the bill of rights/ constitution. The purpose of the constitution is to protect U.S. citizens and define certain liberties.

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 Bill of Rights—which is listed in the U.S. Constitution as the first ten amendments—did not exist prior to the Revolution. The Federalists (those who crafted and created the U.S. Constitution) created the Bill of Rights to accommodate the wants of the Democratic-Republicans, who feared that the new strong central government in America would impose upon the rights of all Americans to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, a phrase found in the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. This gave many Americans numerous rights, besides the right to “life, liberty, and property” (the Constitution substituted “pursuit of happiness” with “property”, which will be discussed later): freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, the right to petition, and many more freedoms that Americans didn’t have before the Revolution, or even with the government prior to the Constitution—the Articles of Confederation. The creation of a Bill of Rights was a major turning point in American history because it’s still used even to this day, and is a part of everyday life in America. Without the Bill of Rights, first of all, people in America would’ve eventually rebelled against the nation, possibly in another civil war.

Back in the year of 1791, when our grand country was at the tender age of fifteen, two gentlemen gathered together to form a written document that would protect their newly attained freedom. These written principles, later know as the Bill of Rights, were penned primarily by George Mason and James Madison. The Founding Fathers of the American public’s home country. It is interesting to note that not only were these two men the authors of Bill of Rights but were also successful in their own careers too. George Mason, a prospering planter in the state of Virginia and James Madison a graduate of the College of New Jersey, known as present day Princeton. Madison was a lawyer by trade, but was driven with a profound interest in ministry. They came together to compose one of the greatest treasures in the nation’s history: the Bill of Rights. In this written expository, this author will be discussing the first of the ten of these amendments: the amendment that guarantees Americans the freedom of Speech. The necessity of free speech and the important values it contains is a main foundation for this country, therefore, Rosenblatt 's argument for the freedom of “expression” is valid because it certifies our right to speak freely, form an opinion, and exercise the correct function of democracy while on American soil.

When the original Articles of Confederation was drafted in 1777, a bill of rights was considered unnecessary. The U.S government was not considered a single national government, but an alliance of independent states. Since the national government has no power to restrict people’s rights, there was no need for laws to prevent it from doing so. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787 the Constitution was passed without a bill of rights. When the constitution was sent to the states for ratification, a debate broke out between the Federalists, who supported a strong national government, and the Anti-Federalists, who supported retaining the spirit of the Articles of Confederation . Although the constitution was passed without a bill of rights, some Anti-Federalists felt that that it would be worthwhile to specifically protect through constitutional amendments such individual rights as free speech, religious exercise, and jury trials. Thomas Jefferson who sided with Anti-Federalists on this matter, sent a letter in 1789 to James Madison to pass the bill of rights . Madison submitted a draft of his proposed bill of rights several months later, and Congress passed it modified version by the end of the year. After ratification by the states, the Final Bill of Rights consisted of ten amendments that covered a wide range of topics, guaranteeing citizens individual rights such as freedom of speech and religious liberty and protecting them from excessive bail, unwarranted searches,

1. Federalists were the colonists who favored the Constitution, wanting a strong national government. These supporters recognized that the issues the country faced in the 1780’s could be traced back to weaknesses of the central government. The lack of influence the central government had was in part due to the Articles of Confederation, which formed a basis for the functions of the government after the United States declared independence. The colonists feared a strong central government would resemble the tyranny of the king.

The Bill of Rights is a document that was written by James Madison in 1791. The Bill of Rights has twelve amendments, three of which are known as criminal rights. They are, the 4th, 5th, and 6th amendments. The 4th Amendment says that one has the “right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure”. “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized” (BRI 2010). The 5th amendment states, the right to remain silent and due process of law. “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation” (BRI 2010). Finally, the 6th amendment states that one has the right to counsel in all criminal prosecutions. “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a

They were put into operation by the House of Representatives on August 21, 1789, officially endorsed by a joint resolution pledge of Congress on September 25, 1789, and fell and with that created the Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, throughout the course of endorsement by three-fourths of the states. However twelve amendments were proposed by Congress, only ten were formally ratified by the states. From the remaining two, one was accepted two hundred and three years later and with that extended into the Twenty-seventh Amendment, and the other technically lingers in the path of head of the states. A very significant part of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights without a doubt states the numerous rights of the citizens of the United States. These rights were acknowledged within the first Ten Amendments of the Constitution. Put into action on December 15, 1791, with allocates was simple, for example the right for a speedy public trial, freedom of religion. If one takes a closer look from a different angles one may see real meaning as well as the reason why the Bill of Rights was written.