Results for “when was the bill of rights ratified” · retrieved September 22, 2026
The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791.
The Bill of Rights, consisting of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, was ratified on December 15, 1791. This occurred when Virginia became the necessary eleventh state to approve the amendments, meeting the requirement of three-fourths of the states at that time. Congress had originally proposed twelve amendments to the states on September 25, 1789, but only ten were ratified by the 1791 deadline. One of the remaining two was never ratified, while the other was eventually ratified in 1992 as the 27th Amendment.
Answer details
Congressional Proposal
Congress proposed twelve amendments to the states on September 25, 1789, following their passage through both the House and the Senate.
Completion of Ratification
Ratification was completed when Virginia became the eleventh state to approve the amendments, satisfying the three-fourths requirement for the fourteen states then in the Union.
Outcome of Proposed Amendments
Of the twelve original proposals, ten were ratified in 1791 to become the Bill of Rights. One of the remaining two was never ratified, and the other became the 27th Amendment in 1992.
Sources 8
About this answerBill of Rights (1791) | National Archives
Although 12 amendments were originally proposed, the 10 that were ratified became the Bill of Rights in 1791. They defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution....On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States therefore proposed to the state legislatures 12 amendments to the Constitution that met arguments most frequently advanced against it. Articles 3 to 12, ratified December 15
May 18, 2021
The Bill of Rights: How Did it Happen?
The House passed a joint resolution containing 17 amendments based on Madison’s proposal. The Senate changed the joint resolution to consist of 12 amendments. A joint House and Senate Conference Committee settled remaining disagreements in September. On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent copies of the 12 amendments adopted by Congress to the states. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these, now known as t
April 27, 2023
The Bill of Rights: A Transcription
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. The 1789 Joint Resolution of Congress proposing the amendments is on display in the Rotunda in the National Archives Museum. Ten of the proposed 12 amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791. The ratified Articles (Articles 3–12) constitute the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, or the U.S.
August 7, 2025
Today in History - December 15 | Library of Congress
On December 15, 1791, the new United States of America ratified the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, confirming the fundamental rights of its citizens. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the rights of peaceful assembly and petition. Other amendments guarantee the rights of the people to form a “well-regulated militia,” to keep and bear arms, the rights to private proper
Publication date not supplied
Bill of Rights | National Archives
On September 25, Congress agreed upon the 12 amendments, and they were sent to the states for approval. Articles three through twelve were ratified and became the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791.
Publication date not supplied
Bill of Rights is finally ratified | December 15, 1791 | HISTORY
Bill of Rights is finally ratified | December 15, 1791 | HISTORY...Following ratification by the state of Virginia, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, become the law of the land....On December 15, 1791, Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to approve 10 of the 12 amendments, thus giving the Bill of Rights the majority of state ratification necessary to make it legal. Of the two amendments
February 9, 2010
Bill of Rights (First Through Tenth Amendments) | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Consequently, the first ten amendments, which are commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights, along with one that was not ratified and one that was not ratified until 1992, were proposed by Congress on September 25, 1789, when they passed the Senate, having previously passed the House on September 24.11 They appear officially in 1 Stat. 97 (1789). Ratification of the first ten amendments was completed on December 15, 1791, when the eleventh state
Publication date not supplied
New York Ratification of the Bill of Rights | National Archives
New York Ratification of the Bill of Rights March 27, 1790, General Records of the U.S. Government Document as seen in the Annals of Congress, 1st Congress (Library of Congress)...On January 11, 1790, the New York legislature convened in New York City. Two days later, Governor George Clinton sent the proposed amendments to them. The legislature ratified 11 of the 12 articles on February 24. Three days later, the state Council of Revision approved
October 6, 2015
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