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Bill of RIghts

In 1789, Madison, then a member of the newly established U.S. House of Representatives, introduced 19 amendments to the Constitution. On September 25, 1789, Congress adopted 12 of the amendments and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified and became part of the Constitution on December 10, 1791. The Bill of Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens, including freedom of speech, religion and the press; the right to bear and keep arms; the right to peaceably assemble; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. For his contributions to the drafting of the Constitution, as well as its ratification, Madison became known as “Father of the Constitution.”

To date, there have been thousands of proposed amendments to the Constitution. However, only 17 amendments have been ratified in addition to the Bill of Rights because the process isn’t easy–after a proposed amendment makes it through Congress, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. The most recent amendment to the Constitution, Article XXVII, which deals with congressional pay raises, was proposed in 1789 and ratified in 1992. The full text of the Bill of Rights can be found here.

Defining a Right

Now is the time in your Patriot Camp that the concept of a “Right” becomes important.  Rights are NOT what others require of you.  Rights are very personal.  Originally established from the founding fathers as the “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the concept of rights are frequently misapplied by society. A right should not mean that those without get to have what you have earned. People in need will be with us forever. Charity should come from a generous heart, not the mandates of government. We are granted the right to life from our creator, further granted the right to be free and to have free will to control our own destiny.  Hard work is a component of the process by which happiness is obtained. As the discussion of what is a right continues, consider these points:

  • Fundamental human rights come from God, not the government;
  • Our God expects you to work;
  • The sharing of your talents and wealth is not part of the rights of others – only your own heart can create generosity; and
  • A government should not be in the business of defining rights, only protecting those already granted by part of creation itself.

The Original Ten

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VII

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, then according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Hands-On Opportunity

A full-size parchment copy of the Bill of Rights is readily available from retailers. By now, your students would have seen three or four documents that literally created our country. A good point to make here is that it does not take thousands of pages to create something that is good and that lasts a long time. It just takes good ideas.

They will notice that the original Bill of Rights had 12 Amendments. The Senate consolidated and trimmed these down to 12, which were approved by Congress and sent out to the states by President Washington in October 1789. The states ratified the last 10 of the 12 amendments. They became the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and are now referred to as the Bill of Rights.

Learning Opportunity

By now, you should have used your “reward” candy coins to talk about rights and what makes our “republic” unique in the world. A good discussion would be to talk about each one of the first ten rights afforded to us and look back at the historical events that would have biased our forefathers to include them.

How to Teach the Bill of Rights

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