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Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights comprises the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, ratified on Dec. 15, 1791. These amendments provide broad protections, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press; the right to bear arms; protection against unreasonable searches; and extensive rights for the criminally accused, including the right to a speedy trial and legal counsel. The Ninth and 10th Amendments clarify that the listed rights are not exhaustive and that powers not granted to the federal government remain with the states and the people.
The amendments were drafted in response to fear that the new federal government outlined in the Constitution could infringe on individual rights—concerns so significant that several states ratified only after proposing amendments to protect individual rights. Most of the Bill of Rights' modern force stems from 20th-century Supreme Court decisions that applied its protections to the states.
James Madison, initially skeptical that a bill of rights was needed given the Constitution's structure, became its chief author. Drawing on the Magna Carta, Virginia's Declaration of Rights, and England's 1689 Bill of Rights, Madison proposed 17 amendments to the First Congress in 1789. Twelve were approved by Congress, and 10 were ratified by the states, forming the Bill of Rights.Explore Bill of Rights
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North Carolina's original copy of the Bill of Rights was stolen during the Civil War and recovered 138 years laterA Union soldier looted the document from the state archives in 1865 and sold it for $5. It remained in private hands for more than a century before an undercover FBI agent posing as a buyer seized it in 2003 at a Philadelphia office building. TIMEThe US Bill of Rights drew directly from England's own Bill of RightsEngland's 1689 Bill of Rights established protections against cruel and unusual punishment and the right to petition the government. Many of its provisions were adopted nearly word for word by America's founders a century later. HISTORYThe Bill of Rights spent more than a century largely ignored by the courtsWhen ratified in 1791, the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government, which exercised little direct control over daily life. It played a limited role in early constitutional law until the 20th century, when legal advocates began using it to challenge state and local laws. US CourtsBill of Rights Day is commemorated annually in the United States on Dec. 15The date marks the 1791 ratification of the first 10 amendments. President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially established Bill of Rights Day in 1941, on the document's 150th anniversary. Hear the speech he gave on that day. National ArchivesThe Bill of Rights was designed to protect individuals from the power of the federal governmentWhen the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, its protections applied only to the federal government. It wasn't until the 14th Amendment (1868) and the Supreme Court's doctrine of selective incorporation that most provisions were extended to state governments—a process that began in 1925. National Constitution Center3 states did not officially ratify the Bill of Rights until 1939Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Georgia originally rejected or tabled the amendments in 1791. With Virginia's ratification already clearing the three-fourths threshold of adoption, there was no legal pressure to revisit it—until all three states acted symbolically on the 150th anniversary of Congressional approval of the amendments. National ArchivesThe Bill of Rights toured the United States on the Freedom Train from 1947 to 1949Alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the Bill of Rights traveled the country for 18 months. Nearly 3.5 million people viewed the documents as they traveled to all 48 contiguous states in the US. (Alaska and Hawaii were not yet states.) 10 of the original 14 copies of the Bill of Rights still existClerks produced 13 copies for the states, plus one federal copy. Today, eight states still hold theirs. Georgia's and New York's were likely burned, Pennsylvania's was stolen, and Maryland's whereabouts remain unknown. National ArchivesThe Bill of Rights originally proposed 12 amendments, not 10Congress proposed 12 amendments in 1789, not 10. Of the two amendments not ratified, the one on congressional pay raises remained dormant for 203 years before finally becoming the 27th Amendment in 1992. The Bill of Rights was a compromise between Federalists and anti-FederalistsDuring the ratification process of the US Constitution, anti-Federalists demanded that a Bill of Rights be included to guard against federal overreach, while the Federalists initially opposed it. The Federalists ultimately committed to its inclusion to secure support for ratification. University of Wisconsin-MadisonVirginia's Declaration of Rights was a main inspiration for Madison's Bill of RightsJames Madison drew on Virginia's Declaration of Rights, written in 1776. The document affirmed freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and jury trials, and placed limits on government power—core protections that later appeared in the Bill of Rights. Encyclopedia VirginiaMadison initially opposed a bill of rights but embraced it for pragmatic reasonsJames Madison initially argued that bills of rights were ineffective. However, a competitive House race against James Monroe and the need to win the support of anti-Federalists in ratifying the Constitution led him to support amendments in the First Congress. Constituting AmericaJames Madison wrote the first draft of the Bill of RightsMadison drafted the initial set of constitutional amendments in 1789. The House approved 17 amendments; the Senate reduced them to 12; and 10 were ratified as the Bill of Rights. One rejected amendment was later ratified in 1992 as the 27th Amendment. National ArchivesThe Bill of Rights was not included in the original ConstitutionThe Constitution was ratified before a formal list of rights was added. To avoid reopening debates, the Founders approved the core document first, then adopted the Bill of Rights as amendments. Watch this video to find out why, and how, that happened. TED-EdThe Bill of Rights was shaped by hundreds of draftsThis interactive resource from the National Constitution Center traces the complex drafting process behind the Bill of Rights, showing how state proposals and revisions evolved into the first 10 amendments. National Constitution CenterWhy some writers believe there's a new romanticismJournalist and novelist Ross Barkan argues that a crushing political system and alienating technology have led people to become more interested in the offline, analog world and the beauty of nature and emotion. In this essay, he defines this as "the new romanticism," and predicts it will come to define the culture of the 2020s. Political CurrentsThe Civil Rights Act expanded the Department of Justice's enforcement powersThe 1964 bill empowered the DOJ's Civil Rights Division to challenge segregation, protect voting rights, and prosecute discrimination, thereby expanding its role in defending civil rights. MSNBCThe music theory behind a lonesome country classicTownes Van Zandt's "I'll Be Here in the Morning" might read like a clever inversion of a standard country music trope. But Cush, a musician in his own right, walks through the song's structure to show how its story is far more complicated than its lyrics suggest. Hearing ThingsTake a virtual tour of Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's home and retreatTwo miles from the Roosevelt family estate in upstate New York, Val-Kill was built as a furniture factory that Eleanor Roosevelt helped create to employ rural workers and craftspeople. It later became her private home and political hub. World leaders and civil rights activists visited her there, and she called it the place where she "became an individual in her own right." GoogleHow constitutional AI helps cultivate good human values in Anthropic's AI toolsBy incorporating elements from documents such as the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights into a framework against which it can check its outputs, Anthropic hopes the approach will help Claude operate with good human values and behaviors beyond what human-driven training alone can provide. The Eighth Amendment prevents cruel and unusual punishment and was borrowed from EnglandThe exact wording of the amendment came from England's Bill of Rights, written more than a century before America's. Today, the Eighth Amendment governs death penalty standards, prison conditions, and sentencing limits, though its interpretation remains actively contested. National Constitution CenterThe Third Amendment bars the forced housing of soldiers in private homesThe amendment was designed to address a specific grievance of the Colonies and remains the only Bill of Rights provision that has never been directly tested by a Supreme Court ruling on its merits. National Constitution CenterWhy genetic testing for Alzheimer's risk may not be right for youMedical experts warn that completing Alzheimer's testing for late-onset versions of the disease can be fraught, in part because there's a shortage of genetic counselors to help navigate the findings and their potential implications, including for one's finances. Learning you have one or two copies of the APOE4 gene variant, which elevates Alzheimer's risk, can be panic-inducing, but an elevated risk for the disease is not the same as saying it definitely will develop. ReutersA planeterrella creates artificial auroras in a jarWithin the apparatus, a large metal sphere representing the sun and a smaller sphere representing the Earth are enclosed in a near vacuum. A voltage is established between the two, which draws electrons from the "sun" to the "Earth" to mimic solar wind. A magnet inside the smaller sphere funnels these particles to the poles, recreating auroras. University of LeicesterA Tennessee children's hospital changed its name to Dolly Parton Children's HospitalIn 2026, East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville changed its name to Dolly Parton Children's Hospital. According to an announcement from Parton and the hospital's CEO, Parton will collaborate with the hospital to ensure it continues providing care for children in the Knoxville area. TODAY.comMuseums are updating their approach to wall texts amid 8-second-long attention spansThe explanatory text found next to art in museums has long been integral to the exhibit experience, helping provide context for artists, the piece, and cultural movements. Some institutions are removing the texts to allow visitors to interpret the pieces unaided; others are seeking to optimize length or recruit a variety of perspectives—called "labelists"—to offer less authoritative context for the pieces. The Art NewspaperThe debate over federalism helped produce the novel character of the United StatesDuring ratification, Federalists argued that a strong national government was essential for national survival. Anti-Federalists warned that it could overwhelm states and threaten individual liberty—forcing compromises that shaped early American federalism and led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights. National Constitution CenterElvis Presley wanted to record 'I Will Always Love You,' but Dolly Parton refusedAfter scoring a hit with her own recording of the song, Presley made plans to record his own version, but stipulated that Parton would need to grant him 50% of the publishing rights—perhaps the most valuable asset for a songwriter. Parton politely refused. AXS TVSatirists sometimes use ironic personasSatirists often embody a character to mock the kind of person who would believe what they argue are ridiculous ideas. One famous example was Stephen Colbert on “The Colbert Report,” who satirized right-wing pundits like Bill O’Reilly through a bombastic persona. When O’Reilly asked whether that meant he was owed money, Colbert responded with more satire: “There’s a difference between imitation and emulation … If you imitate someone, you owe them a royalty check. If you emulate them, you don’t.” AntiwylinoutThe Times Square New Year's ball has been redesigned 8 timesThe first iteration was made of iron and wood, weighing in at 700 pounds. The 2025 version is made of 5,280 crystals and 32,256 LED lights and weighs a whopping 12,350 pounds. Times Square NYCTake a tour of The Planetary Society headquarters with Neil deGrasse TysonLed by Bill Nye, the Hayden Planetarium director examines the LightSail aircraft, observes historical artifacts, such as a Mars meteorite, and explores props from the "Cosmos" TV series, which was hosted by Planetary Society cofounder Carl Sagan. StarTalkMicrosoft paid $50k for the foundation of the OS they licensed to IBMRather than write MS-DOS from scratch, Bill Gates purchased the full rights to QDOS—Quick and Dirty Operating System—from Seattle Computer Products only weeks before IBM’s PC hit the market. The IBM deal allowed Microsoft to license its OS to other manufacturers, ensuring it was not dependent on IBM’s long-term success. MediumIn 1922, the Ku Klux Klan tried to ban private educationThe white supremacist organization was also staunchly anti-Catholic and sought to outlaw parochial schools by passing legislation that forced parents to send their children to public institutions. University of WashingtonThe X Games hired new CEO Jeremy Bloom in December 2024In this podcast interview, X Games CEO Jeremy Bloom reflects on his first time running the competition—discussing event logistics, athlete relations, and strategies to grow the brand under new ownership. Sports Media PodcastBear-baiting was another form of entertainment during Shakespeare’s timeWe tend to think of Shakespeare’s audiences as prim and proper, but the Bard’s shows were just another form of amusement, viewed by commoners as entertainment not unlike the animal blood sports that were similarly popular during the time period. HISTORYA pet turtle survived a fatal barrel plunge over the fallsIn 1930, George Stathakis died attempting a barrel stunt over the falls—but his 150-year-old pet turtle "Sonny" survived 24 hours trapped behind the cascade. Niagara Falls LiveStock options give investors the right to buy or sell a stock at an agreed-upon price and dateThere are two types of options: calls, which are bets that a stock will rise (or not rise past a certain point), and puts, bets that a stock will fall (or not fall past a specific level). While stock options give investors the right to do these trades, they do not obligate buyers to follow through with them—sellers, on the other hand, must perform the option if it is exercised InvestopediaBrian Wilson said ‘Be My Baby’ is ‘the greatest record ever produced’The legendary Beach Boy was shocked the first time he heard the Ronettes’ song. “I was driving and I had to pull over to the side of the road — it blew my mind.” He claims he spent his career trying in vain to do something as good. “It’s the greatest record ever produced. No one will ever top that one.” The New York TimesA retired FBI agent interviews a convicted hitmanLarry Thompson was a hired hitman who was sent to jail for 80 years. In this long read, former FBI agent interviews Thompson in jail to try to gain closure on a case that had haunted him for years: the murder of a key witness in a case against a corrupt police chief. The Atavist MagazineSaudi Arabia began investing in international sports in the mid-2010sThe country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has argued that embracing sports and tourism will diversify the Saudi economy away from a dependency on oil. Critics argue the events are being used to distract from the regime's human rights violations. BBC SportWhat "National Treasure" got right—and wrong—about the DeclarationThe 2004 film "National Treasure" imagines a secret map hidden on the Declaration of Independence. This article breaks down which plot points reflect real history—and where Hollywood took liberties with the document, its preservation, and the people it portrays. Harvard University Declaration Resources ProjectDeep-sea mining risks underwater ecosystems for new critical mineral sourcesThe seafloor contains cobalt-rich deposits at underwater ridges and seamounts, as well as nodules—potato-sized deposits of metals—scattered at depths between 4,000 and 6,000 meters. Mining noise, lights, release of toxic elements, and scraping of the seafloor could affect marine organisms. the GuardianLeft versus right brain strokes vary significantly in long-term effectsDue to the high complexity of the brain, the aftereffects of a stroke can have widely different manifestations, ranging from minor temporary impairments to rapid death. Whether a stroke results in paralysis, speech impairments, loss of bodily function, or death will depend on whether it occurs in the left or right hemispheres or the brain stem. American Stroke AssociationChampagne has a rich history in hip-hopThe drink is both aspirational and a bragging right. Famous artists name-check brands like Cristal, and up-and-comers long for the day when sparkling wine will flow like water. The trend traces back to the early 1990s and Branson B., “hip-hop’s unofficial sommelier.” The Harlem-based artist would bring bottles of his favorite bubbly to parties, celebrations, and, crucially, recording studios, where friends like the Notorious B.I.G. were laying down some of rap’s foundational tracks. Last BubblesA caffeine calculator This simple calculator takes your preferred caffeinated drink and your body weight to determine how much is the right amount, and how much might kill you. In case you've ever had the morbid curiosity about just how much of that tea you'd have to drink to doze off forever. Find out your moderate and lethal doses here, as well as some extra info on caffeine consumption. Caffeine InformerVisit global national parks from your living roomGet your fill of incredible scenery with this collection of 17 different virtual tours of national parks. Catch the Northern Lights over Abisko National Park in Sweden, or explore the famous red sand dunes of Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia. Trafalgar TravelWatch Billy Joel deepfake himself in the 'Turn the Lights Back On' music videoThough deepfakes are often synonymous with manipulation and bad intentions, some artists have found creative uses for the technology. In this example, Billy Joel depicts himself in various eras of his career in keeping with the song's nostalgic message. Billy JoelHow the methods of catching fish for food affects their tasteCommercially caught fish are often killed through suffocation, allowing the causing the fish extreme stress and flooding their bodies with stress hormones and lactic acid. These chemicals cause the fish's flesh to become bitter where it was once rich and quickens the rotting process. VoxA history of every US government shutdownThere have been 21 shutdowns of the federal government in US history, a result of Congress's failure to pass appropriations bills in time. While the cause of most of the shutdowns stems from issues around the national debt and budget, a few originated in fights over unrelated policies. Dive into the history of each one with this comprehensive list. Fox NewsPsychedelic therapy's ethical guidelines (or lack thereof)With a checkered history of misconduct, how will psychedelic-assisted therapists be held accountable in the emerging legal field? This article explores the nascent field's need for ethical guidelines and clear protection of patient rights when therapeutic breakthroughs teeter "on the edge of consent." Psymposia
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