What is the Bill of Rights?

The Bill of Rights refers to the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, and serve to guarantee individual rights and limit governmental power, addressing the concerns of Anti-Federalists during the ratification debates who feared that the new Constitution did not adequately protect personal freedoms. The Bill of Rights covers essential liberties, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press, the right to bear arms, and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, among others. Its significance is foundational in establishing the framework for civil liberties in American law and governance, ensuring that citizens have certain inalienable rights that cannot be infringed upon by the government.