Timeline: Bill of Rights

1215 King John of England is forced to sign the Magna Carta by a

group of rebellious barons on June 15. The document formally
limits the power of the monarch for the first time, and is
considered by scholars to be the origin of constitutionalism.

1628 The Petition of Right is demanded of King Charles I by

Parliament in a run-up to the English Civil War. A statement of
grievances regarding recent legal reforms, it expresses many of
the ideals that later motivate the leaders of the American
Revolution.

1689 Parliament passes legislation on December 16 that comes to

be known as the English Bill of Rights. The document codifies
the reforms demanded during the Glorious Revolution—a
bloodless coup that had replaced Catholic King James II with
the Protestant royal couple William and Mary in 1688—and will
influence the writing of the U.S. Bill of Rights a century later.

1774 The Declaration of Colonial Rights—an early form of an

American bill of rights— is presented to the British government
by the First Continental Congress on October 14 in response to
the punitive tax policies under the Stamp Act (1765).

1776 The Virginia Declaration of Rights—a statement of rebellion

against the British Crown and an assertion of American civil
liberties—is adopted by the Virginia state legislature on June
12. The document's main author, George Mason, would
become one of the leading proponents of the Bill of Rights.

On July 4, Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence,

severing all political ties with Great Britain and forming a new
nation called the United States of America.

1787 Delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia

replace the Articles of Confederation (which was ratified on
March 1, 1781) with the new U.S. Constitution, signed on
September 17. Before the document goes into force, however,
 it must be ratified by nine of the 13 states.

Advocates of the proposed constitution, known as the

Federalists, begin to publish a series of articles on October 17
that make the case in support of ratification. Written by
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, the essays
become collectively known as The Federalist.

Delaware, on December 7, becomes the first state to ratify the

Constitution.

1788 Massachusetts narrowly ratifies the Constitution on February 6,

with a 53% approval, but only on the condition that it can be
amended when the new Congress comes into session. Known
as the "Massachusetts Compromise," that conditional method
of ratification is later adopted by other states.

On June 21, New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify

the U.S. Constitution, putting the document into force.

1789 On March 4, the first congressional session of the new federal

government convenes under the U.S. Constitution.

On June 8, Madison submits to Congress his proposal for a bill

of rights, which includes a list of 19 proposed amendments
gleaned from a large list of recommendations gathered from
various state legislatures.

On September 25, Congress approves a Bill of Rights

containing 12 amendments. Days later, President George
Washington (Federalist, 1789-97) sends the document to the
states for their approval.

1790 Rhode Island, on May 29, becomes the last of the original 13
states to ratify the Constitution, with a narrow 52% approval.

1791 The Bill of Rights—consisting of the first 10 amendments to the

Constitution—goes into effect on December 15, with the
ratification of the Virginia state legislature.
1939 As the 150th anniversary of the Constitution is being celebrated
in the U.S., three states that had never approved the Bill of
Rights—Massachusetts, Georgia and Connecticut—finally ratify
the document on March 2, March 18 and April 19, respectively.

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“Bill of Rights - Timeline.” Issues & Controversies in American History. Infobase Publishing, 25 Apr.
2006. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. <http://icah.infobaselearning.com/icahtimeline.aspx?ID=112024>.