The Bill of Rights

The text of the Bill of Rights, as sent for ratification, is printed here in full. The language was agreed upon by the House and Senate on Sept. 24-25, 1789, and enrolled on September 28th. On October 2-3, President George Washington sent engrossed signed copies to each of the states for ratification.

“Resolved… That the following articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all or any of which articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution, viz….

“Article 3. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

There is one known newspaper printing from October 2, in New York’s The Daily Advertiser, published by Childs & Swaine, printers to the House of Representatives. However, we have never seen or heard of any ever having come on the market. The printer of this Gazette of the United States, John Fenno, also served as printer for the Senate. The leading Federalist newspaper, their reporting was regularly reprinted throughout the new nation.

★ BILL OF RIGHTS. The Gazette of the United States, October 3, 1789, [misprinted “October 1,” corrected by hand at the time], Newspaper. New York: John Fenno. 4 pp. 10 x 16 ½ in. #26739