New Jersey First to Ratify Bill of Rights

Summary

In the years following the American Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States operated under the Articles of Confederation, which many leaders viewed as too weak to sustain a stable nation. Delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention created a stronger framework, but Anti-Federalists demanded explicit protections for individual liberties before ratification. James Madison drafted twelve proposed amendments in 1789 to address these concerns, and Congress approved them for submission to the states. On November 20, 1789, New Jersey's legislature became the first to ratify eleven of the twelve articles. This action helped build momentum, as other states followed over the next two years. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ultimately added to the Constitution in 1791, establishing foundational guarantees such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms.