Table of contents What is the Bill of Rights Why was the Bill of Rights Added to the Constitution 6 Who wrote the Bill of Rights How Does the Bill of Rights Promote Individual Rights 10 What Rights Does the First Amendment Grant 12 Why was the Second Amendment created 14 Why was the Third Amendment Important 16 What Do Amendments Four through Seven Cover 18 What Does the Eighth Amendment Say about Punishment 20 What Do Amendments Nine and Ten Concern 22 Are There Any other Amendments to the Constitution 24 Who Makes sure that the Amendments Are Followed 26 Fact Sheet 28 Glossary 30 For More Information 31 Index 32 About the Author 32
What is the Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is a list of additions to the US Constitution The additions are called amendments They were added after the Constitution was written After the American Revolution the citizens of the new United States needed to form a government They wanted it to be different from the British government they had just rebelled against A group of leaders gathered in 1787 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania They included George Washington Benjamin Franklin James Madison and George Mason Together they wrote a set of rules and laws These rules would govern the new land The rules became the US Constitution The Constitution established a strong federal government But Some felt that the Constitution went O Benjamin Franklin was one of the leaders who helped write a set of laws for the newly formed United States of
too far They feared a strong federal government would limit individual rights They thought it might also limit the rights of the 13 states The people had lived under the strong control of England They wanted to make sure that would not happen again That is where the Bill of Rights came in The amendments in the Bill of Rights ensure personal freedoms The former colonists wanted to safeguard the rights that were in short supply under England s King George Ill They limit the government's power They give certain powers to individual 10 Number of amendments in the Bill of Rights states Without the Bill of Rights Americans might not enjoy many of the freedoms they have today GO TO THE SOURCE The Bill of Rights is a list of amendments to the US Constitution Americans did not want their federal government to be too strong This document ensures certain freedoms for individuals It also makes clear which powers belong to states and which belong to the federal government To read the full text of the Bill of Rights go to www 12StoryLibrary com
