November 20, 2019: On November 20, 1789—230 years ago today—New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. That document confirmed fundamental rights guaranteed to every American including freedom of speech and freedom of religion.[1]
The entire process was built upon a level of political trust hard to imagine in the 21st century.
Some states were hesitant to approve the U.S. Constitution itself without a Bill of Rights. However, after some negotiation, they agreed to support it in exchange for a promise that the Bill of Rights would be added later.
The very first Congress quickly honored that promise. Less than five months after George Washington took office as the first president, 12 Constitutional Amendments were proposed to the states. New Jersey acted just a couple of months later. Still, it took another two years until enough states followed New Jersey’s lead and the Bill of Rights formally became part of the Constitution.[2]
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