...The Bill of Rights Rebecca D. Joy Pima Community College Business 220 Professor Browning March 11, 2014 The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights creation began over two hundred years ago in 1789 and were ratified and put into effect December 15, 1791. “The Bill of Rights may be old but they are still America’s most debated and discussed section of the United States Constitution”, (Stutzman). The Bill of Rights were created to put limits on government’s power over the people and extend the powers to the citizens of the United States of America. James Madison wrote the bill of rights (Who wrote the bill of rights, 1), but he was not a true supporter of the bill of rights and did not think that the constitution needed to be changed. Thomas Jefferson convinced Madison of the need to protect the people from the government no matter the size of the current government and together they wrote The Bill of Rights. George Mason's example of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and other states Declaration of rights, also helped Jefferson and Madison in forming The Bill of Rights. First amendment: The freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition. This amendment protects American’s rights to speak or write personal opinions, religiously worship any religion and in any manner a person wants to, assemble groups large or small in a peaceful manner, and petition the government if necessary. Second amendment: The right to bear arms. The amendment began as a way...
Words: 892 - Pages: 4
...The Bill of Rights is a document stating the protections of individual rights and gives the government limited power. The Bill of Rights became the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights purpose was to tell the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Each amendment are very important to the way we live society today. The Bill of Rights helped settle many issues, but also took many hours and debates to what it consisted of. All of the 27 amendments define citizens rights or the second Bill of Rights (11-27) mostly deal with government issues. The beginning of our rights started with “All men are created equal” since then many documents like the Constitution have been made. From that point up to the creation of our Bill of Rights, the struggle for freedoms would possess the nation to inherit many different reforms and ideas to create the ideal society that the nation desired during the tyranny of England. The Second Continental Congress was formed during the times of revolution as a form of government represented by all thirteen American colonies. The Congress noted delegates from each state to represent that state, a total of fifty-five in all from all states except for Rhode Island, although a total of seventy-four delegates were chosen to represent. They created the Constitution and the debates began the last struggle between the Antifederalist that were opposed the Constitution and the Federalist that voted for the Constitution...
Words: 358 - Pages: 2
...The United States Bill of Right is known to be the first ten amendment of the United States Constitution. It serves to provide protection to the rights of liberty and property basically it provides freedom to individuals personally. The amendment was produced by James Madison to the first United States Congress as a legislative article. This Bill of Right plays an important role in American Law and is a vital symbol of the freedom and culture of our nation. The Fourth amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Right which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures alongside with obtaining any warrant supported by probable cause. The Fifth Amendment protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. The 5th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed by ratified on December 15, 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. In the Fifth Amendment no person shall be held to capital to answer unless on a presentment of a Grand Jury. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution is what sets forth rights in the prosecution of criminals. In a criminal prosecution the accuser have the right to a speedy and public trial. The accused has the right to know what they are been charged for and why they are been held in jail. They also have the right to know who is saying that they've committed the crime, and the right to ask them questions. The Eight Amendment to the United States Constitution protects against excessive bail and cruel...
Words: 738 - Pages: 3
...Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Date The Bill of Rights According to Lewis (35), the US Bill of Rights constitutes the first ten amendments of the US constitution that prohibit the powers of the federal government. Written by James Madison, the Bill of Rights seeks to offer constitutional protection for the personal freedom and liberty of the US citizens. In addition to these personal freedoms, the Bill of Rights limits governmental powers in controlling judicial proceedings, with a reserve of specific powers to the public and individual states. Therefore, the Bill of Rights presents the US citizens with freedoms that were demystified in the principal Constitution, and transfers to the states or the citizens, any power that the main constitution does not grant to the federal government (Lewis 38). In the Bill of Rights, provisions bestowed upon states or individuals limit the power of the federal government (Levi 215). To start with, most of the amendments address the provisions about the people, and this paper looks at just a few of them. The first amendment of the Bill of Rights warrants freedoms of individuals in terms of religion, assembly, the right to expression, and petition. It limits the Congress from taking sides on religion, or controlling an individual’s religious beliefs. The amendment requires the Congress to allow people to speak freely, to promote a free press, and to permit peaceful assemblies of the citizens. The second amendment allows people...
Words: 1076 - Pages: 5
...THE BILL OF RIGHTS UNDER 1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION: A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IMPORTANT TO FILIPINOS Thesis Statement: As democratic countries raised in the world, we people should know our rights in order us to protect or defend our credibility from any violations against our will. I. Introduction: Historical Context, definition of bill of rights and philippine constitution, and thesis statement II. History of the philippine constitution A. Articles 1. Bill of Rights a. Most important section b. Least important section B. Basis of the Constitution C. Implementation from 1987-1999 D. Implementation from 2000- present III. Impact of having bill of rights A. In the first day of implementation 1. To poor people 2. To middle class people 3. To rich people B. In the present IV. Importance of having bill of rights A. Present 1. Society a. As students 2. Government b. As leaders 3. Industry a. As professionals b. As skilled workers B. Future V. Effects of having bill of rights A. International 1. Economic talks 2. Sovereignty talks 3. Peace talks B. National or Local VI. Conclusion: In 1986, after the People Power Revolution which ousted the reigm of President Ferdinand Marcos, and following the inauguration of President Corazon Aquino as the first female president of the Philippine Republic, she issued Proclamation No. 3, which declare the national...
Words: 507 - Pages: 3
...Bill Of Rights In 1791, the Bill of Rights, consisting of 10 amendments, was ratified into the constitution. The document’s purpose was to spell out the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Considered necessary by many at the time of its development, the Bill of Rights became the cause for a huge debate between two different factions: The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were those who thought that there should be a new Union created with a strong centralized government and individual regional governments. They felt that it was not necessary for there to be a bill of rights because it was implied that those rights the Constitution did not specifically state would be handed down to the states. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists were opposed to such a form of government on the grounds that the Constitution, in which it was outlined, lacked clarity in the protections of the individuals. The Anti-Federalists—whose memory of British oppression was still fresh in their minds—wanted certain rights and guarantees that were to be apart of the constitution (Glasser 1991). A clear demonstration of the Anti-Federalist attitude was performed by Samuel Bryan, who published a series of essays named the ‘Cenitnal Essays,’ which “assailed the sweeping power of the central government, the usurpation of state sovereignty, and the absence of a bill of rights guaranteeing individual liberties such as freedom of speech and freedom of...
Words: 1660 - Pages: 7
...Which of the Bill of Rights is most important to you and why? The Bill of Rights was written for the American people for two reasons. The first was to pacify Anti-Federalist’s fears of an overwhelmingly powerful central government provided by the Constitution. The second reason was to protect the freedoms secured by the Americans after their war for independence. Without a Bill of Rights, the people feared that the government would have the power to oppress and to control everything. In my opinion, the First Amendment is the most important. By taking each letter in the word first, I will explain why the First Amendment is important to me. F-freedom; The First Amendment states, 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. This is quite possibly the amendment that makes the United States the democratic and orderly country that it is. The choice of freedom to say and listen to whatever one wants is the ultimate independence. I-immeasurable; the importance of the First Amendment can't be measured. The freedoms and liberties it gives me are too great to mark with a value. This part of the Bill of Rights allows me to have a voice in the country I live in. R-requisite; The First Amendment is requisite, or absolutely needed. It sets boundaries that give the people...
Words: 447 - Pages: 2
...Bill of Rights Ronald Lee Similarity Index 0% Similarity by Source Internet Sources: 0% Publications: 0% In this paper of the Bill of Rights and several amendments will be discuss, which is the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth. Also will discuss how the Bill of Rights evaluates different areas in security and the administration of justice. Such as challenges of law enforcement, roles of the courts, roles of the security, and recommendation. The main purpose of the Bill of Rights is to protect the freedoms and the rights of the American citizens. Also, so that every individual can worship wherever he or she feel comfortable without restrictions. If an individual born inside the country or outside the country his or her citizenship as an America and recognized as an America. American citizens protected from seizures and searches by law enforcement agencies unless there is a warrant presented. The warrant must be present before the seizure and search take place. The warrant will specify what and who will be search so that an individual privacy not invaded. The United States Constitution of the first amendment states Congress cannot make laws condensing the right for people the peacefully assemble, speech, the press, and religion (Bill of Rights). Chris Neefus wrote article that challenge the First Amendment. The title of that article was “Justice Breyer suggests that burning a Quran could be like shouting fire in a crowded theatre...
Words: 1932 - Pages: 8
...States Bill of Rights ______________________________________________________________________________ Fundamentals of Criminal Law CJSA 1327 Week 1 Essay #3 Not too long ago our nation was young, new, and in need of structure and in need of a government. To solve this issue, the United States Constitution was drafted and implemented across the territories. After the constitution was created, there was immediate pressure from anti-federalists who opposed constitutional ratification. This then gave birth to the Bill of Rights, which was to set limits on the government’s actions in regard to personal liberties. The Bill of rights is a collective name for the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. It was introduced by James Madison before the 1st United States Congress and then proposed to congress in September 25, 1789. The amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791 by congress. There originally were twelve amendments proposed, but only ten amendments made the final cut. Over time, amendments had been added totaling twenty-seven. The 10 amendments guaranteed a list of personal freedoms, reserving some powers to the states and public. They also put a limit to the government’s power in judicial and any other proceedings. The 10 original amendments are (1st) Freedom of speech, religion, and right to petition, (2nd) Right to bear arms, (3rd) Protection against quartering troops, (4th) Protection against unreasonable search and seizure, (5th) Rights in criminal...
Words: 485 - Pages: 2
...The Founding Fathers demanded a “bill of rights” that would protect the people from the government. Therefore the bill of rights was added to the Constitution to make sure we had certain liberties that other countries do not give their citizens. This bill of right would make sure that the new government would not treat citizens like the old Government. So the bill of rights was the name given to the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution. These amendments guarantee a number of personal freedom, limit the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the state and the public. At the beginning these amendments applied only to the federal government, later on they were incorporated to the government of each state. James Madison believed that all the citizens needed to be protected from the state and national government. Madison gathered ideas and came up with 42 rights that needed to be protected for each individual. His 42 rights were cut down to 27 by the House of Representatives. Then they were cut to 12 by the time Senate approved them. Finally only 10 were approved by the states. These became the first 10 amendments to the Constitution on December 15, 1791 and became known as The Bill of Rights. To me the most important amendment is the First Amendment. I think this amendment should never change. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting...
Words: 1676 - Pages: 7
...Bill Of Rights Assignment Week 3 Constitution HIS/301 Instructor James Newman Alan L. Olsen February 11th 2012 University of Phoenix Introduction According to Article V of the United States Constitution, when two thirds vote of Congress or State Legislature’s an amendment can be passed. Amendments are ratified by providing 3/4 of the votes in the Federal or State Legislature’s. When the Constitution was designed by the Framers, they realized that it was not necessarily an absolute law. They knew that future generations wanted to make changes and they wanted to make sure that the process was relatively smooth. That is why they added an amendment process. Amendments become part of the Constitution to enable the government to make adaptations to constitutional law. “Troubles with the existing Confederation of States finally convinced the Continental Congress, in February 1787, to call for a convention of delegates to meet in May in Philadelphia to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union.” (Linder) The Philadelphia Convention was necessary to make modifications to the Articles of Confederation. The newly constituted federal government was made up of a strong executive, legislative, and judiciary branch. Bill of Rights The concept to create a Bill of Rights to...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...Bill of Rights In 1776 the declaration of independence of the United States was signing as the constitution, the supreme law of the land. This famous document has as a purpose a system of government that would prevent one individual from having complete power. However, some states were in opposition with the constitution because it did not contain protection rights against a government. In 1791, 10 amendments were known as the bill of rights. This document was added to the constitution to ensure the individual rights of Americans citizens and protect them against any government. Now days there are four amendments on with most prisoners are such as; first amendment, fourth amendment, eight amendment and fourteenth amendment. The first amendment brings a general protection for the free speech, establishing of religion and the free exercising of any religion, press, the right of the people peaceable to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievance. The first amendment provide equality freedom for all the citizens of the United States, but In the history of prisons of this nation the inmates claims an innumerate irruptions of the first amendment such as; the freedom of speech and expression like the visits of friends and loved ones, those visits are a form of expression. However, the prison visits are not a complete right because it has a lot of limitations. Other example of expression is correspondence but not all the mails are sending it to the inmates...
Words: 855 - Pages: 4
...Bill of Rights and Amendment Paper The US Constitution is a living document which was designed to be ratified when needed due to a changing society, or unfair legal practices that overstep human and or civil rights. Article Five of the Constitution made way for amendments such as the Bill of Rights, amendments thirteen through fifteen, among so many others that have made the United States the place it is today. An amendment to the Constitution is a change that can be added to the Constitution or a change to an older part. Amendments are necessary due to changing a society and or some parts of government over steps its boundaries, unless prohibited by the Constitution the overstepping could happen again. There are two ways to amend the Constitution, The first being to get a bill passed by both the house and the senate with at two thirds majority in each. If passed it then has to go to the states. The second way which has never been used is for a constitutional convention to be called by two thirds of the legislatures of the States, and then the amendment has to be sent to the States with approval from three fourths of convention or legislatures. This process was put into the constitution by the framers. According to the “US Constitution” (The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for...
Words: 354 - Pages: 2
...Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is a crucial component because it outlines the fundamental rights and freedoms of the people in the U.S. Constitution as Amendments 1-10, making sure every citizen is entitled to these rights and not just the majority. In criminal cases, it requires indictment by grand jury for any capital or "infamous crime," guarantees a speedy public trial with an impartial and local jury, and prohibits double jeopardy. There are certain Amendments that pertain specifically to the criminal justice system, which includes the fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth of the ten amendments and then the fourteenth. These amendments are meant to make sure that all individuals are treated fairly if they are arrested or suspected of crimes. Of the first 10, I choose the Fourth Amendment which states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”. This basically means that no one can enter your home without a search warrant. Although there are exceptions, any evidence discovered in violation of this amendment could be excluded. The case law for this that I am using is Weeks v. United States, 232 U.S. 383 (1914). Police officers in Kansas City, Missouri went to the house of Mr. Fremont...
Words: 332 - Pages: 2
...Bill of Rights After reading the Bill of Rights and researching them, I must add that I have a better understanding of each of them and I believe that they are all important in their own ways. The Amendment that is most important to me would have to be the first Amendment. I believe that it is the foundation of all our rights as Americans. The first Amendment established the four great liberties; freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly. All of these rights together form the essential core of all our rights as citizens. By me working hard to become a teacher, I also believe this amendment is related to my field and is important to me. Even though all of the Amendments are of great importance, the Amendment that is least important to me would be the seventh Amendment. It codifies the right to a jury trial in certain civil cases, and asserts that cases may not be re-examined by another court. If I were suddenly arrested and tried for a crime, the Amendment that might be most important to me would be the sixth Amendment. It is designed to protect individuals accused of crimes. It includes the right to counsel, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to a speedy and public trial. After reading about the sixth Amendment, I definitely understand the need for it. Each Amendment has its own importance but in my opinion the first Amendment is important to each of us on a daily...
Words: 262 - Pages: 2
