Bill of Rights

Who at the Philadelphia Convention advocated a Bill of Rights from the very beginning?

I don’t know of a specific person, but I do know that after the Constitution was drafted the not all the delegates were happy. One of the divisive issues was a people’s bill of rights. Anti-Federalists, who thought the national government was made too powerful at the expense of state government, wanted a bill of rights incorporated into the Constitution to protect the people from the givernment. The Federalist position was that an enumerated list of rights was a bad thing – what would keep the government from violating those rights not specifically listed?

The Constitution, sans Bill of Rights, was ratified by 9 states. One more state was needed for national ratification. As a compromise to the remaining states it was promised that when Congress met they would develop a bill of rights. That made most folks happy, more states ratified the Constitution, and a new government was created.

The Bill of Rights that we hold so dear today was just a bargaining chip in 1788.

According to this synopsis, George Mason

was the earliest proponent of the Bill of Rights, and he wanted it in the original document, but compromised to get the original out to be voted on.
A More Perfect Union

later:

and, finally: