George Mason & the Birth of the Bill of Rights

Virginian George Mason . . . was one of three delegates to the Constitutional Convention who had refused to sign the final document because it did not [guarantee] individual rights. Together with Patrick Henry, he campaigned vigorously against ratification of the Constitution by Virginia . . . . [F]ive states, including Massachusetts, ratified the Constitution on the condition that such amendments be added immediately. When the first Congress [met] in New York City in September 1789, the calls for amendments protecting individual rights were [almost] unanimous . . . . [B]y December 1791, enough states had ratified 10 amendments to make them part of the Constitution. Collectively, [these amendments] are known as the Bill of Rights. This excerpt is taken from the public domain.