The Bill of Rights

With over two hundred years of history behind us, it is sometimes hard to realize how radical the U. S. Declaration of Independence, the American Constitution and the Bill of Rights were at the time. When you consider what powers the typical government had at that time, the first ten amendments to the constitution, commonly called the Bill of Rights, were an extraordinary statement of the power of the people. It was a time when most nations were still governed by royalty that claimed divine rights to rule as they saw fit. This book describes the laborious process of getting the Bill of Rights passed, as it was done so in the fulfillment of a promise. Some states only conditionally ratified the constitution, with the understanding that a bill of rights would be added shortly afterward. The debate over their content and scope was sometimes contentious, as some people felt they were unnecessary and others felt that they were not strong enough. Fortunately, the rights of citizens were codified into law and while there have been a few times when these rights have been usurped, over the history of the nation, they have largely remained inviolate. No person in the United States can be considered educated without the basic knowledge of the constitution and this book is an excellent resource for material on the constitution in American elementary schools.