The Bill of Rights & 1st Amendment

The Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. The idea behind the Bill of Rights was to insure certain freedoms and rights to the citizens of America. It put limits on what the government could do and control. Freedoms protected include freedom of religion, speech, assembly, the right to bear arms, unreasonable search and seizure of your home, the right to a speedy trial, and more.Bill of Rights from the 1st United States CongressMany delegates of the states were against signing the Constitution without a Bill of Rights included. It became a major issue in ratifying the Constitution in some states. As a result, James Madison wrote 12 amendments and presented them to the First Congress in 1789. On December 15, 1791 ten of the amendments were passed and made part of the Constitution. They would later become known as the Bill of Rights.The Bill of Rights was based on several previous documents including the Magna Carta, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and the English Bill of Rights.Here is a list of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights:The First Amendment- states that Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. Also protected are freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.The Second Amendment - protects citizen's right to bear arms.The Third Amendment - prevents the government from placing troops in private homes. This was a real problem during the American Revolutionary War.The Fourth Amendment - this amendment prevents the government from unreasonable search and seizure of the property of US citizens. It requires the government to have a warrant that was issued by a judge and based on probable cause.The Fifth Amendment - The Fifth Amendment is famous for people saying "I'll take the Fifth". This gives people the right to choose not to testify in court if they feel their own testimony will incriminate themselves.In addition this amendment protects citizens from being subject to criminal prosecution and punishment without due process. It also prevents people from being tried for the same crime twice. The amendment also establishes the power of eminent domain, which means that private property can not be seized for public use without just compensation.The Sixth Amendment - guarantees a speedy trial by a jury of one's peers. Also, people accused are to be informed of the crimes with which they are charged and have the right to confront the witnesses brought by the government. The amendment also provides the accused the right to compel testimony from witnesses, and to legal representation (meaning the government has to provide a lawyer).The Seventh Amendment - provides that civil cases also be tried by jury.The Eighth Amendment - prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.The Ninth Amendment - states that the list of rights described in the Constitution is not exhaustive, and that the people still have all the rights that are not listed.The Tenth Amendment - gives all powers not specifically given to the United States government in the Constitution, to either the states or to the people. What historic document is the Bill of Rights a part of? The Declaration of Independence The Emancipation Proclamation The Constitution The Pledge of Allegiance How many amendments are included in the Bill of Rights? Just the 1st 3 5 The first 10 Which amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms? The second The third The fifth The tenth Who wrote the amendments that became the Bill of Rights? John Adams James Madison George Washington Thomas Jefferson Which of the following describes the Bill of Rights? A document that insures the basic freedoms of the citizens of the United States. A document that limits the powers and controls of the government. A document that protects the freedom of religion and speech. All of the above. None of the above. Which amendment guarantees citizens the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech? The first The second The third The ninth What right does the fifth amendment protect? The right to bear arms Freedom of speech The right to legal representation Freedom of religion The right to choose not to testify against oneself True or False: The ninth amendment states that 100% of the rights of the citizens are called out in the Constitution. That they have no rights beyond what the Constitution says. True False According to the tenth amendment, who gets all of the powers that are not specifically called out in the Constitution? The President The people and the states The Congress The Supreme Court the government What are some documents that the writers used to base the Bill of Rights off of? The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Magna Carta The Articles of the Confederation, the Gettysburg Address, and the English Rights Law The Magna Carta, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and the English Bill of Rights The Emancipation Proclamation, the Magna Carta, and the Articles of the Confederation The Constitution, the Articles of the Confederation, and the Declaration of Independence The First AmendmentThe First Amendment protects several basic freedoms in the United States including freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. It was part of the Bill of Rights that was added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791.From the ConstitutionHere is the text of the First Amendment from the Constitution:"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."Freedom of ReligionFreedom of religion is the first freedom mentioned in the Bill of Rights. This shows how important it was to the Founding Fathers of the United States. Many of the people who first came to America did so in order to have religious freedom. They did not want the new government to take this freedom away.The First Amendment allows people to believe and practice whatever religion they want. They can also choose not to follow any religion. The government can, however, regulate religious practices such as human sacrifice or illegal drug use.Freedom of SpeechAnother very important freedom to the Founding Fathers was freedom of speech. They didn't want the new government to keep people from speaking up about issues and concerns they had with the government. This freedom prevents the government from punishing people for expressing their opinions. It does not, however, protect them from repercussions they may have at work or in the public from voicing their opinions.Freedom of the PressThis freedom allows people to publish their opinions and information without the government stopping them. This may be through any type of media including the newspaper, radio, TV, printed pamphlets, or online. There are some things that you can't publish including printing lies about people to damage their reputation (this is called defamation) or copying someone else's work (copyright law).Right to AssembleThis freedom gives people the right to gather in groups as long as they are peaceable. The government must allow people to gather on public property. This allows people to hold protests and rallies against the government calling for changes. In some cases, the government may get involved in order to protect the safety of the citizens. Permits may be required to hold large protests, but the requirements for the permits cannot be too difficult to meet and must be required for all organizations, not just some of them.Right to Petition the GovernmentThe right to petition the government might not sound very important today, but it was important enough to the Founding Fathers to include in the First Amendment. They wanted a way for the people to officially bring issues to the government. This right allows individuals or special interest groups to lobby the government and to sue the government if they feel they have been wronged.Interesting Facts about the First Amendment It is sometimes called Amendment I.Although it is not specifically mentioned, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment also protects the freedom of association.The rights of petition and assembly are often combined together as one right called the "right to petition and assembly."Different types of speech have different amounts of freedom. For example, political speech is considered different from commercial speech (like advertisements). What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called? Declaration of Independence Magna Carta Articles of Confederation Bill of Rights The Big Ten What was the first freedom guaranteed in the First Amendment? The right to assemble Freedom of speech The right to bear arms Freedom of the press Freedom of religion What freedom prevents the government from punishing people for expressing their opinions? Freedom of religion Freedom of speech The right to bear arms Freedom of the press What freedom protects the right to publish information in the media including things like newspapers and television? Freedom of religion Freedom of speech The right to bear arms Freedom of the press The right to assemble What freedom allows people to meet in groups as long as they are peaceful? The right to assemble Freedom of speech The right to bear arms Freedom of the press Freedom of religion