WA Secretary of State Blogs

Happy Birthday, Bill of Rights!

billrightscloudFrom the desk of Rand Simmons

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

You probably recognize the quote as the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. Perhaps you memorized it in school. The Constitution laid out the system of government and the rights of the Americans. The Constitution became law in 1788 when two-thirds of the states ratified it.

There are twenty-seven amendments to the Constitution and the first ten are called the Bill of Rights. They are changes to the Constitution that specify specific freedoms and rights.

Would you believe that today, December 15, 2016 is the 225 anniversary of the Bill of Rights?

How many rights or freedoms named by the Bill of Rights can you name? You can find the answers at Bill of Rights: 1789-91.

 



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