Existing comment:
Almost Fatal Mistake
The omission of a bill of rights proved to be a mistake almost fatal to the Constitution. New York and several other states agreed to ratify with the promise that the First Congress would add rights to the Constitution through the amendment process. These states might have rejected the Constitution without the promise of a future bill of rights.
Ratification of the Constitution by New York,
with proposed amendments, July 26, 1788, Records of the General Government |