1. Chapter 13
Section 1

2. Constitutional Rights Under the Bill of Rights
The Constitution guarantees the basic rights of United States citizens in the Bill of Rights.
Today, the Bill of Rights protects the rights of individuals not only from actions of the federal government but also from actions of state and local governments.
The Bill of Rights was intended to limit the national government from controlling the press, restricting speech, influencing religion, and limiting other areas of personal freedom.

3. Additional Constitutional Rights Amendments
The 14th Amendment, added in 1868, paved the way for major expansion of individual rights by the due process clause, which the Supreme Court rulings have interpreted as applying to all levels of government.
The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment nationalized the Bill or Rights as well as nearly all the rights in the first ten amendments, thus giving citizens in every part of the US the same basic rights.

4. Amendments Cont.
The incorporation of the Bill of Rights has meant that, in practice, citizens who believe state and local have denied them their constitutional rights can take their cases to federal courts, including the Supreme Court.