On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. Ten of the 12 were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791. The ratified Articles constitute the first 10 amendments of the Constitution or the U.S. Bill of Rights. Over the years, the Constitution was amended 16 more times. In 1992, 203 years after it was proposed, Article 2 of the original Bill of Rights was ratified as the 27th Amendment to the Constitution. There have been numerous suggestions for new amendments since 1992, but none have made it out of Congress.

The actual Bill of Rights is 28 1/2 by 28 1/4 inches. This facsimile has been printed on antiqued parchment paper which has been through an aging process exclusive to the National Archives, which makes every document unique. It was proudly made in Philadelphia by a family-owned company.

For price savings, purchase the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights together as a bundle.

The original 1789 Joint Resolution of Congress proposing the amendments is on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.