Bill of Rights is adopted in New York City.

Congress votes to adopt 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution drafted by James Madison and sends them to the states for ratification. Ten are subsequently ratified by a majority of the states when Virginia approves them on December 15, 1791. But because the two houses of the Massachusetts legislature do not agree on which of the proposed amendments should be in included in the Bill of Rights, they are not formally approved Massachusetts until 1939.*