The First 10 Amendments
The Bill of rights was proposed in Federal Hall in New York City. The year was 1789. James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, drafted 12 amendments to be ratified as the Bill of Rights by Congress and the states. These amendments were sent to President George Washington, who in turn sent them to Congress on October 2, 1789. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the state legislatures had ratified 10 of the amendments, which became our Bill of Rights.
Of the 12 original amendments drafted by James Madison, 10 made it into our current Bill of Rights. They protect freedoms everywhere from free speech to the right to remain silent; from peaceful gatherings to weapons. Click on the numbers to read about the corresponding amendment.