A 1789 Version of The Bill of Rights Goes on Display in Philadelphia
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Today, on "Bill of Rights Day" (the anniversary of the day in 1791 that the Bill of Rights became law), the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia cut the ribbon on new exhibit featuring a rare original copy of the Bill of Rights.
Ten Philadelphia students read passages from the Bill of Rights to open the exhibit, "Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights."
Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, notes that the history of that seminal document began on October 2, 1789.
"That's when George Washington sent out 13 copies of the Bill of Rights to the states and one to the federal government, so that people could decide whether to ratify it," Rosen tells KYW Newsradio. He says that only 12 of those original 14 transcripts remain.
And thanks to a lawsuit filed by Gov. Tom Corbett while he was attorney general of Pennsylvania, the National Constitution Center now has the right to showcase the copy some believe was sent to Pennsylvania 225 years ago.
"It's a great day for Pennsylvania and a great day for Philadelphia that we actually get to view an original copy," Corbett said during a speech at the exhibit opening.
Jonathan (no last name given) is one of 1,400 Philadelphia students who will be able to see the new exhibit thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation.
"The Bill of Rights made the country free," he said today, walking through the exhibit with his classmates. "It's kind of cool," he added, standing next to life-sized figures of the Founding Fathers.
The Bill of Rights will remain at the National Constitution Center through 2017 as part of a sharing agreement with the New York Public Library.