Compare and Contrast Versions of the Bill of Rights

Today, we often forget that our nation’s founding documents went through many rounds of edits and revisions before they were finalized. The process to create them took weeks, sometimes months of debates and discussions. Originally, under the Articles of Confederation, individual states retained most governing powers. Concerns over their effectiveness soon became evident. The new nation badly needed to pay off its war debts, and there was no method to collect taxes. A supermajority of states was required to pass most laws.

A constitutional convention was called in 1787 to address these challenges. Delegates met at Philadelphia in Independence Hall, where they scrapped the Articles of Confederation and eventually created a new system of government under the United States Constitution. After the Constitution was ratified by the states and became the supreme law of the land, Representative James Madison proposed a series of amendments. Several states advocated for additional protections for individual liberties. Found is the U.S. Senate’s “markup” of what became the Bill of Rights.

Begin by analyzing the Senate Revisions to the Bill of Rights, then analyze the final version of the Bill of Rights.

Click View Primary Source Details under the document image to zoom in or to read the transcripts.