Definition
The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791. They enumerate specific protections for individuals and place explicit limits on the powers of the federal government.
These amendments cover freedoms such as speech, religion, the press, assembly, and the right to bear arms, along with protections in criminal procedure such as due process, jury trial, and freedom from unreasonable search.
Why it matters
How it works
Several states ratified the original Constitution only on the understanding that a written list of rights would follow. James Madison drafted the proposals, Congress passed them, and the states ratified ten of the twelve sent for approval.
Originally these guarantees restrained only the federal government. Over the twentieth century, courts applied most of them to the states as well, through a doctrine known as incorporation, greatly expanding their practical reach.