Who Wrote the Bill of Rights

Not everybody knows who exactly wrote the bill of rights. Some people think it was Thomas Jefferson while some go for George Mason. Another confusion people have is, whether it was a group of people or one single person who was responsible for writing the bill of rights. To help clear the ambiguity surrounding the bill of rights, answers to some common questions are discussed further.

What is the Bill of Rights?

The first 10 amendments in the United States of America's constitution are known as the bill of rights. These 10 amendments state certain, specific rights of American citizens which are not supposed to be encroached upon. These rights include, the freedom of speech, right to bear arms, right to an impartial trial and right to protection among others.

Why was the Bill of Rights Written?

The people who were opposing the adoption of the US constitution believed that if the constitution was adopted in its original form, there would be a possibility of dictatorship by the central government. The episode of violation of civil rights in Britain before and during the revolution was also on their minds. To avoid such a situation in the United States, they suggested the incorporation of a 'bill of rights', which would protect certain rights of individual citizens. As a result, many state conventions called for these amendments before formally accepting the constitution, while the remaining accepted the constitution, after they were assured of the incorporation of these amendments in the constitution, later on. Indeed, the importance and purpose of the bill of rights cannot be underestimated.

The Creator and the Father of the Bill

James Madison, is the one who has written the bill of rights. However, it is George Mason who is known as the 'Father of the Bill of Rights' as his ideas in the Virginia Declaration of Rights had a great influence on James Madison, the one who wrote the bill of rights.

It is true that James Madison has written the bill of rights, but there are a few factors which make his status as the writer, a little complicated. Firstly, James Madison was never in support of a bill of rights and wanted the constitution to be ratified without any such amendment. This is because he believed that the federal government was not strong enough to become a powerful government and would fall in some time. It was Thomas Jefferson who tried hard and eventually succeeded in convincing Madison to support the formation of a bill of rights. Certain rights mentioned in the First amendment were considered to be heavily influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and thoughts. It is also believed that George Mason's thoughts in the Virginia Declaration of Rights formed the base for the bill of rights. These thoughts were mainly influenced by the works of John Locke, a European philosopher. The free speech protections written in various state constitutions, are also considered to have inspired the language of the bill of rights.

One thing which Mason was keen on including in the bill of rights was the abolition of slave trade. He wanted to stop all forms of slave trade by passing an amendment, but the founding fathers did not accept his proposal. It was only after the violent American civil war, Congress realized that the situation could have been avoided with the inclusion of the anti slave trade amendment in the constitution. In the 1950s and 1960s, various civil right movements spread awareness among Americans regarding the injustice and discrimination faced by blacks and native Americans.

When and Where was the Bill of Rights Written?

The American constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788 and the bill of rights was written only after that. On June 8, 1789, James Madison made the first proposal of the bill of rights in the house of representatives of Congress. On September 25, 1789, the Congress approved all the 12 amendments and then directed them to all the states for ratification. Finally, on December 15, 1791, after Virginia sanctioned the bill of rights, 10 out of the original 12 amendments were formally incorporated in the United States constitution.

Hope all doubts regarding the creation of the bill of rights are put to rest. It is important for all US citizens to have a fair knowledge about the bill of rights as it helps to stay on the right side of the law.