1. Where did the ideas for changes to the Constitution come from? What kinds of changes were being suggested? 2. How did the Bill of Rights become part of the Constitution? Were all of the proposed changes accepted? How long did it take for them to be
approved?

3. Which freedoms are protected by the Bill of Rights? Which ones do you use regularly or rarely?

4. When did the Bill of Rights become a more central part of how the Constitution is interpreted? Why?
5. How do citizens-not the government-use the Bill of Rights to define their freedoms?

1.When the Constitution was being written, the men writing the document realized it might have to be altered in the future.  Since the document was written in a general format, the delegates realized that as time changed, it might be necessary to change the Constitution.  However, the delegates believed that it should be more difficult to change the Constitution than to change a law.  Thus, they required two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-fourths of the state governments to agree to change it.

2.James Madison Drafts Amendments

In September 1789 the House and Senate accepted a conference report laying out the language of proposed amendments to the Constitution. Within six months of the time the amendments–the Bill of Rights–had been submitted to the states, nine had ratified them.

3.The amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were designed to protect the basic rights of U.S. citizens, guaranteeing the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and exercise of religion; the right to fair legal procedure and to bear arms; and that powers not delegated to the federal government were reserved for the states.

4.On September 25, 1789, Congress transmitted to the state Legislatures twelve proposed amendments to the Constitution. Numbers three through twelve were adopted by the states to become the United States (U.S.) Bill of Rights, effective December 15, 1791.

5.Understandably, any people that fought a revolution over "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION" would be cautious about the new Constitution created in 1787. For example, famous Virginian Patrick Henry refused to attend the Convention because he "smelt a rat."

Explanation: