Galesburg Reporter

State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) recently took time to honor Bill of Rights Day on Dec. 15.

“Dec. 15 is the national celebration of the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, which spell out our rights as Americans, according to the National Archives and Records Administration Web site,” Tracy posted on Facebook. “The Bill of Rights guarantees civil rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the federal government to the people or the states.”

The first amendments to the constitution were ratified on Dec. 15, 1791 with later amendments including the right to bear arms, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

In November 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation dedicating Dec. 15 as Bill of Rights Day. The event marked the document's 150th anniversary and came just over a week after the Pearl Harbor attack and subsequent U.S. entry into World War II.

Five years later, Congress made a request to observe the day again and in 1962 the president proclaimed Bill of Rights Day every year.

As one of the framers of the constitution, James Madison penned a list of individual rights and limits on the government. Having a firm grasp of the Bill of Rights is now also an important part of the naturalization test, with prospective citizens facing the possibility of being asked such questions as “What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?” during the interview process. Applicants may also be asked to read the words, “Bill of Rights,” during the English test.

Since 1791, a total of 27 amendments to the Constitution have been ratified, including the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery and the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed birthright citizenship.

U.S. officials recently hosted the first-ever Summit for Democracy, where many world leaders came together to reaffirm their commitment to democracy and to tackle some of the greatest perceived threats of the day.

Not long ago, President Joe Biden also officially marked Dec. 15 as Bill of Rights Day with  proclamation calling on Americans to “observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”