The Bill of Rights

What happened

To answer fears that the new federal government would trample individual liberties, the First Congress proposed a set of amendments; ten were ratified by the states on 15 December 1791 as the Bill of Rights. They guaranteed freedoms of speech, religion, the press, and assembly, and protections in criminal cases, among other rights.

Why it matters

The Bill of Rights enshrined the fundamental liberties that remain central to American law and identity, completing the founding framework of the republic.

Sources

• National Archives. Bill of Rights (1791) · Primary source