The Bill of Rights and Amendments
James Madison introduced 12 amendments to the First Congress in 1789. Ten of these would go on to become what we now consider to be the Bill of Rights. One was never passed, while another dealing with Congressional salaries was not ratified until 1992, when it became the 27th Amendment. Based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the English Bill of Rights, the writings of the Enlightenment, and the rights defined in the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights contains rights that many today consider to be fundamental to America.
Recommended Websites about The Bill of Rights and Amendments
- National Archives: The Charters of FreedomThe article "A More Perfect Union" provides an in-depth look at the Constitutional Convention, the ratification process, and the adoption of the Bill of Rights.
- Bill of Rights: Primary Documents in American HistoryFrom the Library of Congress' American Memory Historical Collections.
Books about the Bills of Rights and Amendments
James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights by Call Number: KF4749 .L32 2006 (DPC)ISBN: 0195341422
In Defense of Liberty: The Story of America's Bill of Rights by Call Number: KF4750 .F74 2003 (DPC)ISBN: 0823415856
The Supreme Court and the Second Bill of Rights: The Fourteenth Amendment and the Nationalization of Civil Liberties by Call Number: KF4749 .C66 (DPC)ISBN: 029908390X
Eleventh Amendment and the Nature of the Union
The Eleventh Amendment and the Nature of the Union discusses reasons for drafting the Constitution rather than amending the Articles of Confederation, and the need for the Bill of Rights and the 11th Amendment. Download the article here.
Reading of the Constitution
Thurgood Marshall, Jr reads Article V at People For the American Way Foundation's 2009 Inaugural Reading of the Constitution at the Newseum in Washington, DC. The event was held on January 18, 2009.