<P> Some representatives mistrusted proposals to enlarge federal powers , because they were concerned about the inherent risks of centralizing power . Federalists , including James Madison , initially argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary , sufficiently confident that the federal government could never raise a standing army powerful enough to overcome a militia . Federalist Noah Webster argued that an armed populace would have no trouble resisting the potential threat to liberty of a standing army . Anti-federalists , on the other hand , advocated amending the Constitution with clearly defined and enumerated rights providing more explicit constraints on the new government . Many Anti-federalists feared the new federal government would choose to disarm state militias . Federalists countered that in listing only certain rights , unlisted rights might lose protection . The Federalists realized there was insufficient support to ratify the Constitution without a bill of rights and so they promised to support amending the Constitution to add a bill of rights following the Constitution 's adoption . This compromise persuaded enough Anti-federalists to vote for the Constitution , allowing for ratification . The Constitution was declared ratified on June 21 , 1788 , when nine of the original thirteen states had ratified it . The remaining four states later followed suit , although the last two states , North Carolina and Rhode Island , ratified only after Congress had passed the Bill of Rights and sent it to the states for ratification . James Madison drafted what ultimately became the Bill of Rights , which was proposed by the first Congress on June 8 , 1789 , and was adopted on December 15 , 1791 . </P>
<P> Some representatives mistrusted proposals to enlarge federal powers , because they were concerned about the inherent risks of centralizing power . Federalists , including James Madison , initially argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary , sufficiently confident that the federal government could never raise a standing army powerful enough to overcome a militia . Federalist Noah Webster argued that an armed populace would have no trouble resisting the potential threat to liberty of a standing army . Anti-federalists , on the other hand , advocated amending the Constitution with clearly defined and enumerated rights providing more explicit constraints on the new government . Many Anti-federalists feared the new federal government would choose to disarm state militias . Federalists countered that in listing only certain rights , unlisted rights might lose protection . The Federalists realized there was insufficient support to ratify the Constitution without a bill of rights and so they promised to support amending the Constitution to add a bill of rights following the Constitution 's adoption . This compromise persuaded enough Anti-federalists to vote for the Constitution , allowing for ratification . The Constitution was declared ratified on June 21 , 1788 , when nine of the original thirteen states had ratified it . The remaining four states later followed suit , although the last two states , North Carolina and Rhode Island , ratified only after Congress had passed the Bill of Rights and sent it to the states for ratification . James Madison drafted what ultimately became the Bill of Rights , which was proposed by the first Congress on June 8 , 1789 , and was adopted on December 15 , 1791 . </P>
when was the second amendment of the constitution written
when was the second amendment of the constitution written
1789
1789