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The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first
ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to
protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of
personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other
proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public. While
originally the amendments applied only to the federal government, most of their
provisions have since been held to apply to the states by way of the Fourteenth
Amendment.
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The amendments were introduced by James Madison to the
1st United States Congress as a series of legislative articles. They were
adopted by the House of Representatives on August 21, 1789, formally proposed
by joint resolution of Congress on September 25, 1789, and came into effect as
Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, through the process of
ratification by three-fourths of the States. While twelve amendments were
passed by Congress, only ten were originally passed by the states. Of the
remaining two, one was adopted as the Twenty-seventh Amendment and the other
technically remains pending before the states.
Originally, the Bill of Rights included legal protection
for land-owning white men only, excluding African Americans and women. It took
additional Constitutional Amendments and numerous Supreme Court cases to extend
the same rights to all U.S. citizens.
The Bill of Rights plays a key role in American law and
government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and culture of the
nation. One of the first fourteen copies of the Bill of Rights is on public
display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
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United States Bill
of Rights
Preamble
Congress of the United States begun and held at the City
of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and
eighty nine
THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the
time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to
prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and
restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public
confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its
institution.
RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses
concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the
several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or
any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures,
to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.
ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the
Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and
ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth
Article of the original Constitution.
Amendments
First Amendment – Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause; freedom of
speech, of the press, and of assembly; right to petition
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Second Amendment – Militia (United States), Sovereign state, Right to
keep and bear arms.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security
of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be
infringed.[56]
Third Amendment – Protection from quartering of troops.
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any
house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to
be prescribed by law.
Fourth Amendment – Protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall
not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Fifth Amendment – due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination,
eminent domain.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or
otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand
Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia,
when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be
subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor
shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Sixth Amendment – Trial by jury and rights of the accused; Confrontation
Clause, speedy trial, public trial, right to counsel
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the
right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and
district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have
been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause
of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have
compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the
Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Seventh Amendment – Civil trial by jury.
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy
shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and
no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the
United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Eighth Amendment – Prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual
punishment.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines
imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in
the Constitution.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights,
shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Tenth Amendment – Powers of States and people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people.
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