On this day in 1791, the first 10 amendments, also known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified as the law of the land of the United States. The state of Virginia was the last state to ratify the ten amendments.

In September 1789, the first Congress approved 12 amendments and sent them to the states for ratification. These amendments were designed to be basic laws to protect the basic rights of U.S. citizens: freedom of speech, press, assembly, and exercise of religion, the right to fair and legal procedure (due process), the right to to bear arms. The amendments also guaranteed that powers not delegated to the federal government would be reserved for the states and the people.

The American Bill of Rights was influenced by the English Bill of Rights in 1689. The Bill of Rights was also influenced by Virginia’s Declaration of Rights.

Anti-Federalists were worried that the government could be oppressive if it was too strong. The promise of a Bill of Rights to limit the government helped assuage the Anti-Federalists’ concerns.

Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to approve 10 of the 12 amendments, giving the Bill of Rights the two-thirds majority of state ratification necessary to make it legal.