Why wasn't the Bill of Rights...

A lot of folks asked the same question when the framers first drafted the Constitution. President George Washington asked Congress to consider adding some amendments “providing for essential civil liberties” to address this oversight. The result was a draft that included 12 amendments, 2 of which were ultimately voted down. Ratification of the remaining 10 took place in 1791. See the complete text of the original 12 amendments.