THE BILL OF RIGHTS

When the Constitution was being written, James Madison opposed including a bill of rights, fearing that such a document might actually limit the rights of citizens. By 1791, he saw the wisdom of such a document, and proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution, Antifederalists unanimously supported the addition of a bill of rights; they felt these would be added protections against the tyranny of the federal government. By the end of year 10, amendments had been ratified by the individual states. The Bill of Rights contains the basic protections that Americans hold dear today; politically it quieted the Antifederalists and their fears of authoritarian government. The Bill of Rights guaranteed the right of free speech, ensured freedom of worship, gave citizens the right to bear arms, forbid the quartering of troops in private homes, and said that warrants were needed before searches took place. In addition, persons could not be forced to testify against themselves, citizens were guaranteed a trial by jury, “dueprocess of law” was guaranteed, and “cruel and unusual punishments” were outlawed. The Ninth Amendment stated that these were not the only rights that Americans had, while the Tenth stated that any powers not specifically given to the federal government belonged to the states. Some historians point out that the basis of the entire American political system can be found in these 10 amendments.