Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

The Bill of Rights

Satisfactory Essays
339 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the US constitution are called the Bill of
Rights because they provide basic legal protection for individual rights. The terms also applied to the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Canadian Bill of Rights 1960, and to similar guarantees in the constitutions of the American states. From the perspective of two centuries, it can be said that Madison chose well among they pyramid of proposal sin the state. he included all the great rights appropriate for constitutional protection. The US Bill of Rights contains the classic inventory of individual rights, and it has served as the standard for all subsequenent attempts to sage guard human rights. The first American use of the term was in 1774 when the first
Continental Congress adopted the declaration and resolves, which was popularly termed the Bill of Rights because it was an American equivalent of the English
Bill of Rights. Two years later came the Virginia declaration of rights, which contained the first guarantees for individual right single gully enforceable constitution. The distinctive feature of the provision in American Bill of
Rights is that they are enforced by the courts. From the time they first settled in Virgin and Massachusetts, the
American colonist relied upon the rights enjoyed by Englishmen. The struggle for independence, however, demonstrated to them that rights not specified and codified in constitutional documents were insecure. The result was a movement as soon as independence was declared, to adopt bindings constitutions that limited governmental power and protected individual rights. Seven of the thirteen states adopted constitutions that included specific bills of rights.
The first state bill of rights was the Virginia Declaration of Rights, adopted as part of the state b's first constitution on June 12,1776. Virginia's declaration, drafted mainly by George Manson, served as the model both for similar state documents and for the US Bill of Rights. It provided guarantees for most of the rights secured in the latter document.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    article 3 bill ofrights

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Q. Where can I obtain the 1-Handed Wands that allow me to use a shield?…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The first eight amendments in the Bill of Rights were intended to protect Americans ' specific personal rights. The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of these rights and fought so that the people in the United States would have the independence that no other nation had known. These same men were well aware of the unavoidable sacrifices they were going to have to make. Listing every right that a person should possess was impossible to fit into ten amendments. Therefore, congress made the final two amendments in the Bill of Rights to be an all inclusive statute in an effort to prevent the United States government from discovering a loophole and gaining too much power. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments are the final two statutes in the Bill of Rights which outlines the limited control of the government and even more importantly the power of the people.…

    • 1547 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    After the Constitution was written, the new born nation was immediately split into two political sides, the federalists and the anti-federalists, over the ratification. Federalists, southern planters or people that tended to hold interest in trade, advocated a strong executive. On the other hand, anti-federalists, back country people or people involved in business but not in the mercantile economy, opposed the ratification of the constitution. The two sides, after much debate, were able to come to a compromise after the Bill of Rights was included into the Constitution.…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The English Bill of Rights is an act that the Parliament of England passed on December 16, 1689. The Bill creates separation of powers, limits the powers of the king and queen, enhances the democratic election and bolsters freedom of speech” (Walker 1). The government no longer had the consent of the people. English Bill of Rights was not so much for the commoner as it was for Parliament, and rules that the Monarch would have to follow. As a matter of fact, the only real similarity was the provision against cruel and unusual punishment for prisoners. However, just like our Bill of Rights, the English Bill of Rights was heavily influenced by John Locke and other libertarians of his time.…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression from government interference. This is one of the most important amendments in the constitution and is what America is most proud of. However, these rights aren’t all they are cracked up to be. For example, censorship is very common and goes against the freedom of speech. Censorship has many different roles in society both in the past and present. In the past it was used as a way for dictators to control their people and keep them from reading rebellious literature. Hitler even burned all books that he did not like.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bill Of Rights Dbq

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The preamble states that the purpose of the Constitution is to create "a more perfect union" and help make the United Sates of America a place of freedom. The Bill of Rights presents the fundamental freedoms of human rights. It lays out what people are entitled to and what the government cannot take away. Both of these documents provide evidence that the United States' government should be fair and reasonable, and lays out what is needed for the country to be successful.…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Question for analysis

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What abuses of royal power seem to have most disturbed the authors of the English Bill of Rights?…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Glorious Revolution Causes

    • 2107 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Bill of Rights: It was very important measure taken by the parliament which limited the royal power and also established supremacy of the parliament. The bill was passed in February, 1689. It enumerates the act of James II stating that he abdicated from the power by himself. It reduced the power of the king and made the king bound to take into account the consent of the parliament. The king could not suspend or create laws without the allowance of parliament. He could not raise taxes by royal prerogative and he was forbidden to keep standing army in peace.…

    • 2107 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    People would consider the Alien and Sedition Acts unconstitutional because they did not followed they freedom established in the Bill of Rights. According to the Constitution, the President had no authority to imprison or deport aliens he considered dangerous for the nation’s security, because the power is shared between the state government and the national government. The Bill of Rights allows people to have their right to speech and the President couldn’t prison people who doesn’t agree with his laws, publish scandalous or malicious writings against him. All criminal prosecutions have the right to speedy and public trial. Any person can’t be discriminated by their religion or be prohibited of practicing it, just like aliens can’t be considerate…

    • 140 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Preamble to the Constitution is saying that the people in America need to unite to have peace, and to defend and provide common defense. To have peace in our nation for us and our generations to come. We must respect and follow the laws. We need to help the people in need.…

    • 166 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After creating the Articles of Confederation, the representatives of each state agreed to make a new, better form of government, the U.S. Constitution. When creating a constitution for our nations, certain citizens wanted to guarantee that there would be a Bill of Rights included in it. These people were called the antifederalist, and they wanted a Bill of Rights to assure that their individual rights would not be taken out of their possession.…

    • 700 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Amendments Essay 8

    • 2123 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Those amendments were adopted between 1789 and 1791, and all relate to limiting the power of the federal government. They were added in response to criticisms of the Constitution by the state ratification conventions and by prominent individuals such as Thomas Jefferson (who was not a delegate to the Constitutional Convention). These critics argued that without further restraints, the strong central government would become tyrannical. The amendments were proposed by Congress as part of a block of twelve in September 1789. By December 1791 a sufficient number of states had ratified ten of the twelve proposals, and the Bill of Rights became part of the Constitution.…

    • 2123 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Key points I see as relevant in the world today is The Declaration of the Rights of Man because this has been hugely relevant for the world as a whole. It has helped to create the idea that people everywhere are entitled to basic Human Rights. The Declaration of the Rights of Man takes ideas from the American Declaration of Independence which was of course inspired by European Enlightenment thinkers and makes them more specific. For example, Thomas Jefferson’s document talks about God- given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The French document takes this further and specifies exactly what rights are included in Jefferson’s categories. The French document in this way, very similar to the American Bill of Rights which…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    trial in court and to be judged by a jury of his peers. In a…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bill Of Rights Essay

    • 340 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Billl of Rights are stated in the first ten amendments. This bill contains the rights of; freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures, right to bear arms, right to not give housing to soldiers during peace time, freedom of the press, freedom to equal justice, and the right to freedom and security.…

    • 340 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays