Bill of Rights Day (December 15): History & the 10 Amendments

Bill of Rights Day is observed in the United States every year on December 15. It marks the day in 1791 when the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution — together called the Bill of Rights — were ratified. These short sentences protect freedoms Americans use every day: speaking their mind, practising their religion, gathering peacefully, and getting a fair trial.

Essentials
Date	December 15 every year
Commemorates	Ratification of the Bill of Rights, December 15, 1791
Main author	James Madison
First proclaimed	1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Status	Observance by presidential proclamation; not a federal holiday
Original document	On display in the Rotunda of the National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Hashtags	#BillOfRightsDay #Constitution

Why the Constitution Needed a Bill of Rights

When the Constitution was signed in 1787, it set up a strong national government but said little about individual rights. Anti-Federalists such as George Mason and Patrick Henry warned that, without written protections, the new government could become tyrannical. Several states agreed to ratify the Constitution only if amendments protecting rights would follow.

James Madison, once doubtful about a bill of rights, became its champion. In 1789 he drew on the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and Magna Carta to draft amendments. Congress approved twelve on September 25, 1789. Ten were ratified when Virginia gave its approval on December 15, 1791, reaching the required three-quarters of the states.

Date	Event
1215	Magna Carta limits the power of the English king
1689	English Bill of Rights
June 12, 1776	Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason
September 17, 1787	U.S. Constitution signed
June 8, 1789	Madison proposes amendments in Congress
September 25, 1789	Congress sends 12 amendments to the states
December 15, 1791	Ten amendments ratified — the Bill of Rights
1941	FDR proclaims the first Bill of Rights Day for the 150th anniversary
1992	One of the original two unratified amendments finally becomes the 27th Amendment

The Ten Amendments in Plain English

Amendment	What it protects
1st	Freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly and petitioning the government
2nd	The right to keep and bear arms
3rd	No forced quartering of soldiers in private homes in peacetime
4th	Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures; warrants need probable cause
5th	Due process, no double jeopardy, no forced self-incrimination, fair compensation for property taken
6th	Speedy and public trial, impartial jury, right to a lawyer and to face witnesses
7th	Jury trial in many civil cases
8th	No excessive bail or fines, no cruel and unusual punishment
9th	Listing some rights does not deny other rights held by the people
10th	Powers not given to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people

Roosevelt’s 1941 Proclamation

President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the first Bill of Rights Day for December 15, 1941 — just eight days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. With the country entering World War II, he presented the Bill of Rights as the heart of what Americans were fighting to defend. Since then, presidents regularly issue proclamations, and the week around it is often called Bill of Rights Week.

Ways to Observe Bill of Rights Day

1. Read the ten amendments — they take less than five minutes.
2. Visit the National Archives in Washington, D.C., or view the documents online.
3. Classroom debate: which amendment matters most today, and why?
4. Explore landmark Supreme Court cases such as Gideon v. Wainwright (right to a lawyer) or Tinker v. Des Moines (student speech).
5. Exercise your rights responsibly — write to your representative or attend a public meeting.
6. Take a civics quiz with family or co-workers.

Interesting Facts

• Only three of the original 13 states — Massachusetts, Connecticut and Georgia — did not ratify the Bill of Rights in 1791; they symbolically ratified it in 1939.
• Each of the 13 original states received a handwritten copy of the 12 proposed amendments; North Carolina’s copy was stolen during the Civil War and recovered in 2003.
• Most Bill of Rights protections applied only to the federal government until the 14th Amendment (1868) and later court decisions extended them to the states.

👉 Rights for everyone: United Nations Day and global human rights

👉 Plan ahead: Every observance in December

Frequently Asked Questions