Bill of Rights

U.S. Constitution Our government makes rules, but it also has to follow them. The U.S. Government’s rulebook is called the U.S. Constitution, which has guidelines for how the government is organized and what it is allowed to do. We can change the Constitution if we want to, but it’s not easy! A change is called an amendment, and the first ten of these are referred to as the Bill of Rights. These amendments were added to protect people’s rights

You see…. When the United States won the war against Great Britain the America had to create it’s own rule book, known as the Constitution. The Framers thought everyone knew what individual rights were, so they did not define them in the Constitution. However, the lack of specific guarantees of personal liberty was one of the main reasons why a number of states were reluctant to accept the Constitution. Under the leadership of Madison, the Framers prepared 10 "amendments," to the Constitution. They were all approved by 1791 and became known as the Bill of Rights.

Bill of Rights Amendments- to change to an original. The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. The Founders created the Bill of Rights to insure certain freedoms and rights to the citizens of America.

Rights Protected by the Bill of Rights 1st Amendment Freedom of Religion.  Freedom of Speech Freedom of the Press.  Freedom of Assembly Freedom to Petition.  2nd Amendment The Right to Bear Arms 3rd Amendment Housing Troops

Rights Protected by the Bill of Rights 4th Amendment Searchers and Seizure Police must have a warrant to search your house. 5th Amendment Rights of the Accused.  Protects the rights of anyone accused of a crime. It assumes that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Due Process of the Law. Another section of the Fifth Amendment holds that "no one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law." In other words, the government must follow certain legal procedures before deciding on a penalty. It can't jail a person because it suspects that the person committed a crime. It must prove the accusation by following certain rules and methods.  6th Amendment Fair and Speedy Trials Guarantees a speedy, public trial by an impartial jury in the area where the crime was committed. The defendant must be able to question the accusers and to force favorable witnesses to testify. The accused has a right to a lawyer.

Rights Protected by the Bill of Rights 7th Amendment Jury Trials Americans will receive a jury trial in civil cases involving property worth more than $20. 8th Amendment Bails, Fines, and Punishment Protects people from having to pay unreasonably high "bail" in order to be released from prison before they go to trial 9th Amendment Reserved Powers States that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights do not define all of the fundamental rights people have. Such rights exist whether or not they are defined. 

Rights Protected by the Bill of Rights 10th Amendment Any power not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution belongs to the States and the people. 

Protected by Bill or Rights? Is Freedom of Speech protected by the Bill of Rights? YES by the 1st Amendment! Is Freedom of shopping protected by the Bill of Rights? NOPE! Is Right to Bear Arms protected by the Bill of Rights? Yes by the 2nd Amendment! What amendment protects the rights of Due Process? The 5th Amendment What does the First Amendment Protect? Protects the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly, freedom to petition.