▁cod ified ▁in ▁these ▁am end ments ▁are ▁built ▁upon ▁those ▁found ▁in ▁earlier ▁documents , ▁especially ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Rights ▁( 1 7 7 6 ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁English ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁( 1 6 8 9 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Mag na ▁Cart a ▁( 1 2 1 5 ). ▁ ▁Due ▁largely ▁to ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁Represent ative ▁James ▁Mad ison , ▁who ▁studied ▁the ▁def ic ien cies ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁pointed ▁out ▁by ▁anti - f eder al ists ▁and ▁then ▁craft ed ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁correct ive ▁propos als , ▁Congress ▁approved ▁twelve ▁articles ▁of ▁am end ment ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 7 8 9 , ▁and ▁submitted ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁states ▁for ▁rat ification . ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁Mad ison ' s ▁proposal ▁that ▁the ▁proposed ▁am end ments ▁be ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁main ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁( at ▁the ▁relevant ▁articles ▁and ▁sections ▁of ▁the ▁document ), ▁they ▁were ▁proposed ▁as ▁supp lement al ▁add itions ▁( cod ic ils ) ▁to ▁it . ▁Articles ▁Three ▁through ▁Tw elve ▁were ▁rat ified ▁as ▁add itions ▁to ▁the ▁Constitution ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 7 9 1 , ▁and ▁became ▁Am end ments ▁One ▁through ▁Ten ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁Article ▁Two ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁on ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁as ▁the ▁Tw enty - se vent h ▁Am end ment . ▁Article ▁One ▁is