The Bill of Rights

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Unit 5

• The Bill of Rights
• Page 9

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The Bill of Rights

• When Constitution was first ratified, Congress
  agreed to add a Bill of Rights, or the first 10
  Amendments
• First Amendment- safeguards basic individual
  liberties
• Religion, speech, and press, assemble, and
  petition
• Cannot be arrested for criticizing government
  official
• Limits on First Amendment
• Newspaper cannot knowingly publish lies about
  someone

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Protecting Against Abuse of Power

• Next 3 Amendments are about the colonists
  experiences with Britain
• Boston Tea Party, Massacre, Intolerable Acts,
  etc.
• Second Amendment- the right to bear arms
• Heated debates over meaning
• Guarantees individuals a basic right to bear arms
• Guarantees the individual states the right to
  maintain a militia

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• Third Amendment- Congress cannot force citizens
  to house troops
• Fourth Amendment - protects from unlawful
  searches of home or property

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Protecting Rights of the Accused

• Fifth through eighth amendments deal with rights
  of people accused of crimes.
• Fifth Amendment states people cannot
  incriminate-or give evidence against themselves.
• Sixth Amendment guarantees speedy and public
  trial by jury
• Seventh Amendment provides for juries for civil,
  or non-criminal, trials
• Eighth Amendment forbids judges from large bail
  or fine amounts.

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Amendments Nine and Ten

• Some people worried specific rights not listed in
  Constitution would be lost
• Ninth Amendment solves by stating citizens rights
  are not limited to those in Constitution
• Tenth Amendment says all powers not given to the
  national government are reserved for the states
  or people