The Bill of Rights - Research Paper Example

23 March Bill of Rights: In Protection of the People When people are asked to write about the most important things for them, they often forget to write down their “freedoms.” Civil freedoms have been only with Americans for the past one hundred years, even when the United States was formed in 1776 (Smith 6). During this time, the idea of freedom was strange for people, because only the monarchy had real freedoms (Smith 6). This paper discusses the origins and contents of the Bill of Rights.

The Bill of Rights was conceived to protect the people from the abuses of the state and other governments and underscores the importance of the individual over the government. Origins of Bill of Rights Delegates from thirteen new American states drafted the Constitution in 1787 (U.S. Department of State). It provided the “blueprint” on the structure and functions of the government, but lacked a specific outline of human rights (Department of State). Virginia delegate George Mason stressed in one of his writings: “The Eyes of the United States are turned upon this Assembly and their Expectations raised to a very anxious Degree” (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration [NARA]).

Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights that inspired Thomas Jefferson in preparing the Declaration of Independence. Mason left the convention very dissatisfied, because it lacked a declaration of rights (NARA). Soon, George Mason's opinions affected the assembly and a heated discussion on the Bill of Rights began. When James Madison first wrote the amendments to the Constitution, which constituted the Bill of Rights, he depended a great deal on the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The Bill of Rights represents the authoritative statement of many American of values: “the idea that the individual is prior to and takes precedence over any government” (NARA; Zinn).

On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States presented the twelve amendments to the Constitution (NARA; Zinn). There was much argument against these amendments (NARA; Zinn). The first two drafted amendments, which entailed the number of constituents for each Representative and the salaries of Congressmen, were not ratified. Three-fourths of the state legislatures signed Articles 3 to 12, which composed the first ten amendments of the Constitution, America’s Bill of Rights (NARA).

Contents The Bill of Rights contained the ten amendments to the Constitution (Head). The First Amendment protects the freedoms of speech, the press, and assembly, as well as the right to petition. The Second Amendment defines the necessity of the Militia to a Sovereign state and the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The Third Amendment protects from the quartering of the troops. The Fourth Amendment prevents the government from conducting unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fifth Amendment protects the rights of the people to due process of the law and eminent domain and also defends their rights to double jeopardy and self-incrimination.

The Sixth Amendment defends the rights to a trial by jury and the other rights of the accused to a speedy and public trial and the right to counsel. The Seventh Amendment asserts the rights of the people to a jury trial for civil controversies that exceed twenty dollars in value. The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment. The Ninth Amendment protects the rights of the people that were not expressly described by the Constitution. The Tenth Amendment preserves the power of the states.

Conclusion The Bill of Rights protects the individual from government subjugation through the intrusion of federal courts. It provides the ten amendments to the Constitution, which was ratified to protect the rights of the people. Some people might forget that some of the most precious things in life are their freedoms. Nevertheless, the Bill of Rights remains, ready to defend the natural civil freedoms and civil rights of every individual, whatever their race, gender, religion, or ethnicity may be.

Works Cited Head, Tom. The Bill of Rights: The First Ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. About.com, 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. http://civilliberty.about.com/od/uscivillibertie1/a/billofrights.htm. Smith, Rich. The Bill of Rights: Defining Our Freedoms. Minnesota: Abdo Consulting Group, 2008. Google Books. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. U.S. Department of State. The Bill of Rights as Beacon. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. < http://usinfo.org/enus/government/overview/borpreface.html>. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

The Bill of Rights. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, no date. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. < http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html>. Zinn, Howard. The Bill of Rights. Third World Traveller, 1991. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. < http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/BillRights_ZR.html>.