Bill of Rights
The collective name for the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791. These amendments guarantee essential rights and civil liberties to individuals, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and place explicit limits on the power of the federal government.
The collective name for the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791. These amendments guarantee essential rights and civil liberties to individuals, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and place explicit limits on the power of the federal government.
Example: The First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech was central to the Supreme Court’s decision in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), which established strong protections for the press against defamation lawsuits by public officials.
Common misconception: The Bill of Rights originally applied to state and local governments. It did not. The Supreme Court ruled in Barron v. Baltimore (1833) that it only restricted the federal government. It was not until the 20th century that the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause was used to ‘incorporate’ most of these rights against the states.