When George Washington was sworn in as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789, the U.S. Constitution had already been ratified, yet the future of the new country was at risk. Some people wanted a bill of rights added to the U.S. Constitution to guarantee individual liberties. Two groups opposed each other--the Federalists wanted a strong government and no bill of rights and the Anti-Federalists wanted more power for the states and a bill of rights. To reach an agreement, James Madison promised to add a bill of rights to the Constitution. These 10 rights (cut from 42) became the first 10 amendments to the Constitution on December 15, 1791, and became known as the "Bill of Rights." This lesson goes through the 10 amendments, presenting historical background and information and providing activity questions to think about and answer. Contains a "Bill of Rights" glossary. The teacher notes section states that the lesson was designed to be completely dependent on the student, with the intent of making students think about possible situations and to think for themselves about the necessity of individual rights. Also notes California state history/social science standards and lists resources. (BT)