You probably know that the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights…

But did you know that the the First Constitutional Convention ratified a Constitution that did not include any mention of individual rights….

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You probably know that James Madison helped draft the original Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights…

But did you know that the primary source of the Bill of Rights was the Virginia Declaration of Rights? And that Virginia’s document, authored by George Maston, was written two months before the Declaration of Independence?

Both Virginians & both instrumental in crafting the U.S. Constitution. Read all about it in Broadwater’s book — available at NYLI…

You probably know that while the path to amending the Constitution is arduous, it’s been amended over 20 times during the past nearly 250 years…

Ready-made research topics–such as this one on Constitutional Amendments– are on PQ Congressional– a database available with NYLI membership

But did you know that a nearly 200 year old failed amendment was eventually ratified in 1992?

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Madison originally proposed 19 amendments which were consolidated and trimmed down to 12 by the Senate and sent to the states by President Washington in October 1789. Not enough states ratified the first two — but the next ten were approved and became what we now know as the Bill of Rights…

And those tricky first two? The first established how House members were apportioned to the States, an issue that was already estabilished in the Constitution (Article 1, section 3, Paragraph 3).

The second one forbid Congress from giving itself a raise….

Enter Gregory Watson, a college undergraduate whose 1982 term paper concluded that Madison’s amendment regarding Congressional pay raises could still be ratified because the original never put a time limit on it. And while he received a “C” on the paper, Watson started contacting state officials. Maine ratified in 1983, Colorado in 1984, and five more states in 1985. Tapping into anger over congressional pay raises, states now began the race to approve of it. In 1992, Alabama approved making it the 38th and final needed vote. The archivist of the U.S. certified the amendment and it was made official by publication in the Federal Register.

203 years later.. Federal Register notice for 27th Amendment (available in PQ Congressional, included with NYLI membership)

If you are reading this blog, you know that today is the Bill of Rights Day…..and you probably figured out that December 15th is its anniversary… but did you know that FDR made it an official commemoration in 1941, only a few weeks before Pearl Harbor?

And I know that all my blog readers KNOW how important the Bill of Rights is to our individual freedoms…. take some time this Bill of Rights Day to read over and contemplate on their meaning to us as Americans! Click here for the National Archives link to the Bill of Rights…

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