Revolutionary Idea: How the American Bill of Rights (1791) Promotes Individual Liberty …
Please Donate Now through PayPal by visiting https://insighthistory.com/support and clicking the “Donate Now” button in your preferred currency, which will take you to PayPal.com. Thank you.
On the 15th of December, 1791, a document was ratified that is perhaps the most revolutionary and enlightened in the history of government. Although the American founding fathers were by no means perfect, and lived during a vastly different time than we do, the recognition of individual liberty in the United States Bill of Rights was lightyears ahead of its time. When the Bill of Rights is applied to all people, it provides a legal framework of freedom for everyone.
The story of the American Bill of Rights is an interesting one. Following the success of America in the Revolutionary War against British rule, which lasted from around 1775 to 1783, the founding fathers had to create a system of government for the US. Their first attempt came in the form of the Articles of Confederation. It was unsuccessful however, as it gave the federal government too little power to be effective.
The Constitution was then proposed to replace the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was designed to create an effective blueprint for the political system of America as a federal republic, whilst protecting the rights of individual citizens and individual states. This was partly achieved through checks and balances being woven into the fabric of the system, and the division of the government into three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial branch.
However, despite the Constitution having many positives elements, a section of America felt that the rights of individuals needed to be explicitly enshrined in law. As Thomas Jefferson told James Madison on the 20th of December, 1787, when discussing the Constitution: "I will now add what I do not like. First, the omission of a bill of rights..." After much debate during this period over whether a bill of rights was needed or not, Madison introduced twelve amendments to the Constitution at the First Congress of the US in 1789, arguably in order to avoid a second constitutional convention having to take place.
The 1789 Joint Resolution of Congress noted that these amendments were introduced because “THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.”
On December the 15th, 1791, the American Bill of Rights was born. Ten of the proposed twelve amendments (amendments 3-12) were ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures. Over 200 years later, in 1992, the second article that was initially proposed in 1789 became the 27th amendment to the Constitution, which states that: “No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”
To donate Crypto, please send to the following addresses:
Bitcoin (BTC) Wallet Address: 3LSVcyj2nva7WQHdhaWwVpXgCyiebfcwHz
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Wallet Address: qp6c8cqhtyzaturgdhlcvq6cm9kv5hgt9s7tyk7csz
Ethereum Wallet (ETH) Address: 0x261C8b5411eA7d0E4c7e68C3aE972f3FaD9feFF9
Support Insight History on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/insighthistory
Subscribe to Insight History on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2XuJ8Ik
Subscribe to Insight History on BitChute: https://bit.ly/2ScB8rg
Sources:
National Archives – America’s Founding Documents - The Bill of Rights: A Transcription https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript
The White House, The Constitution https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-constitution/
National Archives, The Bill of Rights https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/bor
Creating the United States, Demand for a Bill of Rights – The Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/demand-for-a-bill-of-rights.html
