Change to the Preamble to the Bill of Rights
8/25/1789
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The First Congress included a preamble to the Bill of Rights to explain why the amendments were needed. Declaring that they were a response to the demand for amendments from the state ratifying conventions, the preamble states that Congress proposed them “to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers” and to extend “the ground of public confidence in the government.”
Transcript
Resolved that the Senate do concur with the House of Representatives of the said Resolve, in the preamble previous to "Resolved""The Conventions of a number of States having, at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added, And as extending the grounds of public confidence in the government, will best ensure the benificent ends of its institution,"
and Striking out these words,
Lines 6. "& 7." "deeming it necessary" and inserting instead thereof, "concurring."
This primary source comes from the Records of the U.S. Senate.
National Archives Identifier: 24824259
Full Citation: Change to the Preamble to the Bill of Rights; 8/25/1789; Bills and Resolutions Originating in the House and Considered in the Senate during the 1st Congress; (SEN1A-C2); Bills and Resolutions Originating in the House and Considered in the Senate, 1789 - 2002; Records of the U.S. Senate, Record Group 46; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/change-preamble-bill-of-rights, April 24, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
