Ep. 83 – 7 Things you need to know about the Bill of Rights

The Constitution had been made the law of the land, but our founders wanted to make sure the people – and the government – knew certain fundamental rights could not be trampled upon.

Episode Transcript

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Now this is the FCB podcast Network. They're Greed Us Solved and they thought
so well working America. Welcome tothe Growing Patriot podcast American History for Kids.

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I'm your host, Amelia Hamilton.Now that we've learned all about the
Constitution, it's time for what comesnext. Remember when we talked about how
the Constitution could have some changes addedto it, and those are called amendments,
while those first ten amendments are calledthe Bill of Rights, and that's
what we'll be learning about now.On December fifteenth, seventeen ninety one,

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those first ten amendments to our Constitutionwere ratified, and those ten amendments make
up what we call the Bill ofRights. It's been more than two hundred
and thirty one years since then,but it's important that we stay grateful for
this uniquely American achievement and for thefounding fathers who put it together. So

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here are seven things you need toknow about the Bill of Rights. First,
when the Bill of Rights was writtenon June seventh, eighteen eighty nine,
America was still very new. TheConstitution had only been the law of
the land for a few months.Americans and the Founding fathers remembered very clearly
what it was like to live withthe king who didn't protect our rights.

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So they laid out some of themost important They wanted to make sure that
the government and every American knew thatrights would be protected in this new country.
Number Two, the Bill of Rightsdoesn't give as any rights. It
protects the rights that we are allborn with. So instead of seeing it
as a permission slip for the people, think of it as a restraining order

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for the government. Number three.After overthrowing a tyrannical king, citizens of
the new United States wanted strong guaranteesthat certain rights would be protected. Thomas
Jefferson said, a bill of rightsis what the people are entitled to against
every government on Earth, general orparticular, and what no just government would

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refuse or rest on inference. Whathe means is, we're not going to
assume that everyone knows what their rightsare and that the government knows they have
to protect them. We're going towrite it all down. Number four.
James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights. He proposed it to Congress on June
eighth, seventeen eighty nine, andthen it took three months for them to

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agree on a final list of amendmentsthat would be in it, but some
of the amendments he proposed that didn'tmake it were still added to the Constitution
later. For example, one ofhis proposed amendments that didn't make it to
the Bill of Rights dealt with congressionalsalaries, how much people would get paid
to serve in the legislature, andthat was ratified as the twenty seventh Amendment

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in nineteen ninety two, because twohundred years later it was still a good
idea. Number five. Congress commissionedfourteen official copies of the Bill of Rights,
one for the federal government and onefor each of the original thirteen states.
North Carolina's copy of the Bill ofRights went missing for almost one hundred

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and forty years after being stolen bya Union soldier during the Civil War,
and it wasn't found again and broughtback until two thousand and three after an
FBI operation. Number six. FranklinRoosevelt declared December fifteenth to be Bill of
Rights Day in nineteen forty one.He wrote that this would be quote a

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day of mobilization for freedom and forhuman rights, a day of remembrance of
the democratic and peaceful action by whichthese rights were gained, a day of
reassessment of their present meaning and theirliving worth end quote. And I love
that phrase of their living worth.Number seven. America has always been forward

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looking as it strives toward a moreperfect union. By amending our Constitution to
protect we the people, America provesit is still dedicated to liberty and justice
for all. So did you learnanything new about the Bill of Rights today

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or were you already an expert?Let us know on social media at Growing
Patriots on Instagram, Facebook, andTwitter. And remember, the Bill of
Rights is so important because it's oneof the things that makes every American equal.
No matter who you are or whereyou're from, those liberties are protected
for you, and that is special. The Great Us all Jeremy stand everything,

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and they fought so wayward America landover three. This has been a
presentation of the FCB podcast network,where real talk lifts. Visit us online
at FCB Podcasts dot com.