Madison's Motivation
The Bill of Rights was developed in response to this political crisis as a compromise designed to stabilize the newly established republic—to find a middle ground in the debate on whether the people should cede some of their power to the government to maintain their natural rights, or whether the rights of the people need to be enumerated to be secured.
As part of their ratification process, several state conventions proposed amendments to the Constitution to clarify these questions. James Madison and his fellow Federalists were concerned that some of these amendments would weaken the new federal government. Because of wide popular support for these amendments, Madison began to undergo a change of mind and to lead the effort to work them into the Constitution.
Watch this video about James Madison and the process he went through compiling the amendments. Pay attention to Madison’s original position on whether there was a need for a Bill of Rights and how that changed.
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| 0-9 | Fast seek to x% of the video. |
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Take Notes
What was Madison’s original opinion about whether the Constitution needed a Bill of Rights? How did it change?
Calderwood Writing Course: U.S. History
