9th Amendment - Construction of Constitution
George Washington was the first American President who served in office from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797. One of the key events during his presidency was the ratification of the 9th Amendment to the Constitution. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was ratified (meaning approved) on December 15, 1791.

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9th Amendment Simplified Summary
A simplified summary of the 9th Amendment is:

Rights kept by the People

Cause and Reason for the 9th Amendment
The cause or reason for this addition to the Constitution was to ensure that the that rights detailed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were not thought to be the only possible rights of American citizens.

9th Amendment Text - The Ninth Amendment
The original full text of the 9th Amendment of the Constitution is as follows:

9th Amendment Text

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

9th Amendment Meaning, Explanation and Summary
The outrage of the early colonists against the treatment, and the laws, imposed by the British led to the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. The meaning of the words and phrases in the 9th Amendment of the Constitution are explained as follows:

Meaning of the Words

9th Amendment

Meaning:  The word 'enumeration' means making separate mention in a detailed account.

Many rights of American citizens are detailed in the first ten amendments - the Bill of Rights - but not all of them.

Some people opposed the Bill of Rights because they did not believe that they were a necessary addition to the Constitution. These opponents argued that many of the rights were not granted by the government and that any rights not listed in would be taken away.

The Ninth amendment provided reassurance that rights not listed could not be taken away by the government and that the adoption of Constitution itself, and its construction, would limit the powers of government.

9th Amendment

Meaning: Only some rights were included.

9th Amendment

"...to deny or disparage others..."

9th Amendment

Meaning: The rights not specifically mentioned were kept, preserved and maintained by the citizens of America

Meaning of the Words

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Who wrote the 9th Amendment of the Constitution?
James Madison, the "Father of the Constitution", wrote the 9th Amendment in 1789 as one of the first 10 amendments collectively known as the Bill of Rights. The 9th amendment about the Construction of Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

President George Washington Video
The article on the 9th Amendment of the Constitution provides the text, definition and history of one of the major achievements of his presidential term in office. The following video will give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 9th American President whose presidency spanned from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797.