History of the First 10 Amendments for kids The term "Bill of Rights" originated in England, where it refers to the 1689 Bill of Rights which asserted the supremacy of Parliament over the monarch and listed a number of fundamental rights and liberties. The American Revolutionary War of Independence began on April 18, 1775. On May 15, 1776 Congress advised all the colonies to form their own governments and to write their own State constitutions. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776 announcing the separation of the colonies from Britain and making them into the United States of America. This heralded the birth of the new nation and a government needed to be established with a US Constitution. History of the First 10 Amendments for kids: Objections to the Constitution There were objections to the original draft of the Constitution. Citizens of the individual states were concerned about the amount of power that would be given to the new government, taking the control of affairs out of the hands of the people. Others objected because there was nothing in the US Constitution to prevent Congress from passing laws to destroy the freedom of the press. But the biggest objection to the US Constitution was because there was no Bill of Rights attached to it. History of the First 10 Amendments for kids: Opponents of the Constitution Major opponents to the original draft of the Constitution included Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, James Madison, George Mason and John Hancock. The opponents to the new US Constitution felt unable to vote for its adoption until their objections had been addressed. It was suggested that the conventions for the individual states should consent to the adoption of the Constitution, but should also propose amendments which would resolve many of the objections. History of the First 10 Amendments for kids: The "Father of the Constitution" James Madison was called the "Father of the Constitution" as he played a significant role in ensuring the first ten amendments were added to the Constitution. James Madison wrote the amendments in 1789, strongly influenced by the ideas of George Mason. The first 10 amendments (the Bill of Rights) came into effect in 1791. The addition of the first 10 amendments brought agreement to the Constitution and the Union of the 13 original states was complete. |