Bill of Rights
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James
Madison did more than any other person to see that the Bill of
Rights became part of the Constitution. During his
campaign for the U.S. House, he promised to propose such amendments in the first session of the new Congress. He
worried that if a bill of rights was not immediately approved,
efforts to call a second constitutional convention would greatly
increase. |
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This is the first of two pages of the notes that James Madison prepared for his speech on June 8, 1789, when he introduced the Bill of Rights in the U.S. House. Madison would be surprised and greatly disappointed at how much hostility and indifference many of his colleagues showed toward the proposed amendments. Many House members believed that other business was more important and until the new government was organized and firmly established, consideration of amendments should wait. Even some supporters thought the new government should operate for a while to show the Constitution's flaws before amendments were proposed. (Library of Congress) | |||||
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This is a page from the House Journal, August 1789, reporting the 17 amendments that would be forwarded to the Senate. The original first amendment would never be ratified, while the original second amendment (on congressional pay raises) would not be ratified until 1992. Because those amendments were not ratified in 1789-1791, the First Amendment (speech, press, religion) moved up to the top of the list. (National Archives) | |||||
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This is the first of three pages of the Senate's working draft of the House's proposed amendments, Sept. 2-9, 1789. The Senate reduced the 17 House amendments to 12 by eliminating some and combining others. The two houses had to reach a compromise through a conference committee. (National Archives) | |||||
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