What Does the United States Constitution Protect?

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The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States. It was signed on September 17, 1787 by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and took effect on March 4, 1789. The Constitution has a preamble and seven articles that delineate the national frame of government. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Article IV, Article V and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments and of the states in relationship to the federal government. Article VII establishes the procedure subsequently used by the thirteen states to ratify it. Article VIII, Article IX, and Article X embody concepts of limited government, or checks and balances, by which an individual’s rights are protected and the powers of the federal government are limited. Article XI, Article XII, and Article XIII embody changes to the Constitution.

The Constitution protects a number of individual rights and freedoms, including the right to freedom of speech, religion, and the press; the right to bear arms; the right to a fair and speedy trial; and the right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. It also establishes the system of federalism in the United States, which divides power between the federal government and the states. The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first signed, with the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being added in 1791 to address concerns raised by the states about the original Constitution.

The Bill of Rights is the name given to the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States. These amendments were added to the Constitution in 1791 in order to address the concerns of the states and to provide specific protections for individual liberties. The Bill of Rights includes the following amendments:

1. The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and petition.
2. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms.
3. The Third Amendment prohibits the government from forcing citizens to quarter (i.e., provide housing) for soldiers without their consent.
4. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.
5. The Fifth Amendment provides protections against self-incrimination and double jeopardy, as well as the right to due process of law.
6. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, the right to be informed of the charges against oneself, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to have legal counsel.
7. The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in civil cases.
8. The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail, fines, and punishment.
9. The Ninth Amendment states that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.
10. The Tenth Amendment declares that powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved for the states or the people.

These amendments were added to the Constitution in order to protect individual liberties and to limit the power of the federal government. They are an important part of the Constitution and are often referred to as the “first principles” of the document.