American Government / Unit 1 Gov 037 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Bill of Rights Bargain
Captions available
The idea
Ratification of the Constitution was secured partly by a Federalist promise to add a bill of rights protecting individual liberties.
In practice
New Hampshire's approval in June 1788 made ratification official; the first ten amendments followed in 1791.
Where people slip
The Bill of Rights was a political price, not part of the original 1787 text.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for American Government