Even while the Framers were writing the Constitution, some were worried that the rights of the people were not stated clearly enough.  They worried that the national government was given too much power.  Remember, they just finished a war in which they fought against a strong national government (the King's government!).  They thought that in order to get the Constitution ratified, "something" would have to be added to guarantee those individual's freedoms.  That "something" was the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights is the name for the first ten amendments added to the Constitution in 1791.  There were more amendments added at later dates, but some of the first ten will be explored in this lesson. 

The First Amendment protects freedom of religion.  Basically, you may practice any religious beliefs you wish.  This was important because many people came to the new country because they were persecuted in their homeland because of their religious beliefs.

The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms. This means that people can own and use guns.

The Fourth Amendment protects the people from unreasonable searches.  No one's homes can be searched without probable cause.  That means that a police officer cannot go to a house and enter and search it without a search warrant and a very good reason to suspect something or someone is hidden there.

The Fifth Amendment says that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.  For example, if you are arrested, this amendment says that you have the right to have a lawyer defend your case.   If you can't afford one, the court must supply you one for free.

The Sixth and Seventh Amendments say you have the right to a fair trial and that trial should be by jury (not just a judge).  This means that you have the right to a speedy trial by an impartial jury.

The Eighth Amendment says if you are arrested, the bail amount should not be excessive (too much), nor excessive fines imposed. This means that while you are waiting for your trial to take place, you should be able to get out on bail.

These are the most important Amendments to our Constitution.  Because these were added, the Constitution was ratified by all the colonies.  

 "Play" Uncle Sam to get a summary of the Bill of Rights!

DEFINITIONS:

ratified: to vote yes for something, in this case, nine states out of 13 needed to say yes in order for the Constitution to pass.

persecuted:  punished for your beliefs

impartial: doesn't take sides, does not have his or her mind made up before the trial starts!

bail: money needed to get out of jail while awaiting a trial