Bill of Rights Day is annually celebrated on December 15th in the United States. This day commemorates a very important event in US history when Bill of Rights comprising of first 10 amendments were ratified in US constitution on December 15th, 1791.
These Amendments protect some of the most indispensable rights and liberties that define people as Americans. The Bill of Rights is important not only in the freedoms it protects but in its demonstration of America's enduring commitment to self-improvement and striving to continuously form a "more perfect union."
The Bill was introduced by James Madison, who later became the fourth President of the United States. Now, The Bill of Rights is displayed in The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., as a reminder to all Americans of their constitutional freedoms.
| Event | Bill of Rights Day |
|---|---|
| Date | December 15, 2022 |
| Day | Thursday |
| Significance | On December 15th, 1791, the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution were ratified, marking a watershed moment in American history |
| Observed by | United States |
Bill of Rights Day History:
The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Proposed following the often bitter 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution and written to address the objections raised by Anti-Federalists, the Bill of Rights amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people.
The concepts codified in these amendments were built upon those in earlier documents, especially the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), as well as the Northwest Ordinance (1787), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and Magna Carta (1215). Largely because of the efforts of Representative James Madison, who studied the deficiencies of the Constitution pointed out by anti-federalists and then crafted a series of corrective proposals, Congress approved twelve articles of amendment on September 25, 1789, and submitted them to the states for ratification.
Articles Three through Twelve were ratified as additions to the Constitution on December 15, 1791, and became Amendments One through Ten of the Constitution. Article Two became part of the Constitution on May 5, 1992, as the Twenty-seventh Amendment. Article. Much later, Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation that dedicated December 15 as Bill of Rights Day. This was made in honor of the Constitution and to celebrate the document's 150th anniversary. The first Bill of Rights Day took place just eight days after the Pearl Harbor attack and America's entry into Second World War.
President Harry Truman issued another proclamation five years later in 1946 after Congress requested to observe Bill of Rights Day again. Then in 2019, President Donald Trump proclaimed December 15 as Bill of Rights Day again. "During Human Rights Day, Bill of Rights Day, and Human Rights Week, we celebrate the Bill of Rights for safeguarding our God-given rights and protecting us from the abuse of government power," Trump noted. "I call upon the people of the United States to mark these observances with appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Bill of Rights Day Significance:
The United States prides itself on civil rights and liberties and as per the vision of the Founding Fathers presents itself as the beacon of freedom and democracy in the world. Can you imagine it would have possible in the country without the Bill of Rights? Without it, the entire Constitution would fall apart. Since it's the framework of the government, the original image of America's freedoms would stray without the Bill of Rights. After all, it protects the rights of all citizens of the United States. And it was revolutionary for the time when the whole world was under authoritarian regimes.
The very foundation of fundamental rights in the United States is incorporated into the Bill of Rights. Without it, we wouldn't know what the civil liberties are. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, which guarantee essential rights such as the right to free speech and the right to bear arms, as well as reserving rights to the people and the states. It is important to remember today and every day. As a responsible and aware person every citizen of the country must be aware of the basic rights which have been guaranteed to them by the constitution. Hence this day is also an awareness day.
When you read the Amendments, you will see that they were enacted carefully and purposefully, to address the concerns – the actual life experiences - of the people who were in the room then and who, fairly recently, had won the Revolutionary War, battling a country that was then a Super Power of the world. It was long ago, and their lives were very different from today's society. Nonetheless, the language they used is so flexible that it has allowed the reach and meaning of the Bill of Rights to expand and grow over time, to address specific rights and freedoms that no one envisioned in 1791.
The Bill of Rights incorporates the basic rights every human being should have. Forget about nations and borders, essentially, the Constitution is simply about rights for human beings in general. They are rights that should be inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Fundamental human rights include things like the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. This is the framework of the Bill of Rights and the very basics of what we should be granted as human beings.
Bill of Rights Day Celebrations:
It is the perfect opportunity for you to take a glance at the first ten amendments which were adopted into the US constitution which established the country as a democracy to commomerote this day. As deacrived earlier most of these are just basic rights so probably you would already know all or most of them but still take a look maybe you will found something else which you weren't aware of before!
If you think that you already know about the basic facts of Bill of Rights then why not test yourself online. If you're a student, you might do one at school to celebrate the day; if you're an adult, there's a wide array of quizzes available online that you can take. Make it fun and competitive by inviting friends and family around and test each other. It will not only be a beneficial exercise, but you might learn something new about the foundations of America!
There are a number of historical videos you can watch online that might help you make more sense of the Bill of Rights. You can see President Harry Truman and Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson speak on the importance of the document in a ceremony at the National Archives. You can watch panel discussions about the story behind the Bill of Rights, and why it matters. As visual storytelling can help us greatly in giving us a more rounded view of the topic!
Bill of Rights Day FAQs:
1. When is Bill of Rights Day celebrated?
Bill of Rights Day is annually celebrated on December 15th in US.
2. Why is the Bill of Rights important?
The amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were designed to protect the basic rights of U.S. citizens, guaranteeing the freedom of speech, press, and assembly, and the exercise of religion, and many more. It's the framework of the Constitution.
3. What impact did the Bill of Rights make?
The Bill of Rights has proven to be one of the most influential documents in contemporary history, codifying the theory of natural rights, which holds that humans are granted certain freedoms and liberties by God and that the state should not have the power to infringe upon those rights.