Page 113 - Beers With Our Founding Fathers

A Patriot’s view of the history and direction of our Country

Bill of Rights
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Amendments Proposed September 25 1789 and Ratified
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December 15 1791

The Conventions of a number of the 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 ground of public confidence in the Government, will

best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

The preamble to the Bill of Rights serves one essential purpose:

to affirm that the earlier ratifying of our Constitution was predicated
on the passing of several clauses that would declare individual rights
and limit the powers, and abuse, of the government. Before reading

each of the following amendments, the above paragraph should be

included in context.
Almost one-hundred-two years to the day, before our

Constitutional Bill of Rights, England had passed the English Bill of
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Rights (December 16 1689). England’s was an inspiration for our

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