On September 25, 1789, the first U.S. Congress proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution and sent them to the states for consideration.

Ten of those amendments were eventually ratified and became known as the Bill of Rights. They protect many of the freedoms Americans still recognize today, including freedom of speech, religion and the press, as well as protections for individuals accused of crimes.

The two amendments that were not included in the original Bill of Rights dealt with representation in Congress and congressional pay. The first proposed amendment created a formula for determining the number of people represented by each member of the U.S. House as the population grew. It was never ratified.

The second proposed amendment stated that any change in congressional pay could not take effect until after the next election for the House of Representatives. Although it was not approved at the time, it remained eligible for ratification and was finally adopted more than 200 years later, in 1992, becoming the 27th Amendment.

The Bill of Rights officially became part of the Constitution in 1791 and remains one of the most important foundations of individual liberty in the United States.