▁polit ically ▁exped ient ; ▁in ▁the ▁outline ▁of ▁his ▁address , ▁he ▁wrote , ▁" B ill ▁of ▁Rights — use ful — not ▁essential — ". ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁his ▁April ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 7 8 9 ▁inaug uration ▁as ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁first ▁president , ▁George ▁Washington ▁addressed ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁am ending ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁He ▁ur ged ▁the ▁legisl ators , ▁ ▁Mad ison ' s ▁proposed ▁am end ments ▁James ▁Mad ison ▁introduced ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Constitution al ▁am end ments ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁for ▁consideration . ▁Among ▁his ▁propos als ▁was ▁one ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁added ▁intro duct ory ▁language ▁stress ing ▁natural ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁pre am ble . ▁Another ▁would ▁apply ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁to ▁the ▁states ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁federal ▁government . ▁Several ▁sought ▁to ▁protect ▁individual ▁personal ▁rights ▁by ▁limit ing ▁various ▁Constitution al ▁powers ▁of ▁Congress . ▁Like ▁Washington , ▁Mad ison ▁ur ged ▁Congress ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁revision ▁to ▁the ▁Constitution ▁" a ▁moder ate ▁one ", ▁limited ▁to ▁protect ing ▁individual ▁rights . ▁ ▁Mad ison ▁was ▁deeply ▁read ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁government ▁and ▁used ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁sources ▁in ▁compos ing ▁the ▁am end ments . ▁The ▁English ▁Mag na ▁Cart a ▁of ▁ 1 2 1 5 ▁inspired ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁pet ition ▁and ▁to ▁trial ▁by ▁j ury , ▁for ▁example , ▁while ▁the ▁English ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁of ▁ 1 6 8