Malcolm Rivera
The US Constitution and Bill of Rights (1791) protects the basic freedoms of US citizens. The original text of the Constitution contained very few provisions protecting individual rights, but the Bill of Rights was later added to protect the basic rights of citizens. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right of peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms. The Tenth Amendment reserves all powers not given to the federal government, or prohibited to the states by the Constitution, to the states or to the people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Freedom of religion | First Amendment |
| Freedom of speech | First Amendment |
| Freedom of the press | First Amendment |
| Right of peaceful assembly | First Amendment |
| Right to petition the government | First Amendment |
| Right to keep and bear arms | Second Amendment |
| Prohibition of slavery | Thirteenth Amendment |
| Right to vote without discrimination based on race | Fifteenth Amendment |
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What You'll Learn
The First Amendment
In addition, the First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press. This means that the government cannot censor or restrict the publication of information and ideas. It also protects the right of journalists to gather and report news, even if it is critical of the government or other powerful entities.
Finally, the First Amendment protects the right of peaceful assembly and the right to petition the government. This means that individuals have the right to gather peacefully and to protest or demonstrate, as long as they do not disturb the peace or violate the rights of others. It also guarantees the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, which allows individuals to seek change or justice from the government without fear of retaliation.
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The Second Amendment
The original text of the Constitution contained very few provisions protecting individual rights. This was likely for two reasons: firstly, some of the framers believed that they had created a central government with limited powers that would not have the authority to violate individual rights. Secondly, others of the framers feared that any list of enumerated rights might be incomplete and might later be interpreted to deny rights not listed.
The Tenth Amendment reserves all powers not given to the federal government, or prohibited to the states by the Constitution, to the states or to the people. The rights contained in the Bill of Rights were originally construed to apply only against the federal government and not against state or local governments. The rights of individuals were protected from state intrusion only by the state constitutions themselves. This changed after the American Civil War, with the passage of three amendments intended to protect the rights of the newly freed slaves. The Thirteenth Amendment prohibited slavery, and the Fifteenth Amendment protected the right to vote from discrimination based on race.
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The Thirteenth Amendment
> Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
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The Fifteenth Amendment
The Amendment states that "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, colour, or previous condition of servitude". This means that neither the federal government nor any individual state can deny or restrict the right to vote based on a person's race, colour, or history of slavery.
Despite the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, African Americans continued to face significant obstacles to voting in many parts of the country. These included literacy tests, poll taxes, and other discriminatory practices that were used to disenfranchise black voters. It was not until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that many of these barriers were finally removed, ensuring that the promise of the Fifteenth Amendment could be fully realised.
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The Tenth Amendment
The Bill of Rights of the US Constitution protects basic freedoms of United States citizens. The Tenth Amendment, which was ratified on 15 December 1791, reserves all powers not given to the federal government, or prohibited to the states by the Constitution, to the states or to the people. The original text is written as such: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people". The Tenth Amendment makes explicit the idea that the powers of the federal government are limited to those powers granted in the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is the fundamental law of the US federal system of government and the landmark document of the Western world. It is the oldest written national constitution in use and defines the principal organs of government and their jurisdictions and the basic rights of citizens.
The Bill of Rights of the US Constitution protects basic freedoms of United States citizens. The rights contained in the Bill of Rights were originally construed to apply only against the federal government and not against state or local governments.
The First Amendment protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech and of the press, the right of peaceful assembly and to petition the government. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, for the purpose of maintaining a militia.
The Thirteenth Amendment prohibited slavery, and the Fifteenth Amendment protected the right to vote from discrimination based on race.
