What important protections were added to the Constitution in the BIll of Rights?

When the Constitution was approved in 1789, some people felt that it did not protect some basic rights and that the Constitution should be changed to protect those rights. On December 15, 1791, changes were made to the Constitution. These first 10 changes, or amendments, guarantee specific freedoms and rights; together they are called the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights includes some of the most basic freedoms and rights that we think of today in the United States. These are a few of the key ideas in each amendment:

  • First Amendment: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly
  • Second Amendment: the right of the people to keep and bear arms
  • Third Amendment: restricts housing soldiers in private homes
  • Fourth Amendment: protects against unreasonable search and seizure
  • Fifth Amendment: protects against self-testimony, being tried twice for the same crime, and the seizure of property under eminent domain
  • Sixth Amendment: the rights to a speedy trial, trial by jury, and to the services of a lawyer
  • Seventh Amendment: guarantees trial by jury in cases involving a certain dollar amount
  • Eighth Amendment: prohibits excessive bail or fines and cruel and unusual punishment for crimes
  • Ninth Amendment: listing of rights (in the Bill of Rights) does not mean that other rights are not in effect
  • Tenth Amendment: power not granted to the Federal Government is reserved for states or individual people

Bill of Rights facts and figures:

  • There were originally 12 amendments to the Constitution, but the first 2 were not adopted.
  • The Bill of Rights was influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights written in 1776 by George Mason.

To learn more, see the Bill of Rights site at the National Archives.

United States Declaration of Independence (1776)

What important protections were added to the Constitution in the BIll of Rights?

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson penned the American Declaration of Independence.

On July 4, 1776, the United States Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. Its primary author, Thomas Jefferson, wrote the Declaration as a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and as a statement announcing that the thirteen American Colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire. Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadsheet that was widely distributed and read to the public.

Philosophically, the Declaration stressed two themes: individual rights and the right of revolution. These ideas became widely held by Americans and spread internationally as well, influencing in particular the French Revolution.

The Constitution of the United States of America (1787) and Bill of Rights (1791)

What important protections were added to the Constitution in the BIll of Rights?

The Bill of Rights of the US Constitution protects basic freedoms of United States citizens.

Written during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, the Constitution of the United States of America is the fundamental law of the US federal system of government and the landmark document of the Western world. It is the oldest written national constitution in use and defines the principal organs of government and their jurisdictions and the basic rights of citizens.

The first ten amendments to the Constitution—the Bill of Rights—came into effect on December 15, 1791, limiting the powers of the federal government of the United States and protecting the rights of all citizens, residents and visitors in American territory.

The Bill of Rights protects freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to keep and bear arms, the freedom of assembly and the freedom to petition. It also prohibits unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment and compelled self-incrimination. Among the legal protections it affords, the Bill of Rights prohibits Congress from making any law respecting establishment of religion and prohibits the federal government from depriving any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. In federal criminal cases it requires indictment by a grand jury for any capital offense, or infamous crime, guarantees a speedy public trial with an impartial jury in the district in which the crime occurred, and prohibits double jeopardy.

Which protections were included in the Bill of Rights?

The entire Bill of Rights was created to protect rights the original citizens believed were naturally theirs, including:.
Freedom of Religion. ... .
Freedom of Speech, Press, Petition, and Assembly. ... .
Privacy. ... .
Due Process of Law. ... .
Equality Before the Law..

What were some Rights added to the Bill of Rights?

Many of the rights and liberties Americans cherish—such as freedom of speech, religion, and due process of law—were not enumerated in the original Constitution drafted at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, but were included in the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.

What is the most important protection in the Bill of Rights?

The First Amendment is widely considered to be the most important part of the Bill of Rights. It protects the fundamental rights of conscience—the freedom to believe and express different ideas—in a variety of ways.

What are the 3 most important amendments in the Bill of Rights?

The three most important amendments that are guaranteed under the Bill of Rights are the First Amendment, Basic Liberties, the Fourth amendment, Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and lastly the Fifth amendment, Rights of the Accused, Due Process of the Law, and Eminent Domain.