The Bill of Rights Lesson

CIVICS FACTS 1. The Bill of Rights were added three years after the Constitution was ratified. 2. People were afraid the federal government would have too much power, so the Bill of Rights were added. 3. James Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution” because he was the main writer of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 4. At first, the Bill of Rights only applied to the federal government, but now it also applies to the states. 5. “A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inferences.” -Thomas Jefferson

• The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are called the Bill of Rights.
• They were added to the Constitution in 1791.
• The Bill of Rights protects our most important freedoms and limits the power of the federal government.
• The First Amendment includes freedom of
1. Religion
2. Speech
3. Press
4. Assembly
5. Petition

• Freedom of Religion means you can practice any religion you want or not practice a religion at all.
• Freedom of Speech means the government can't stop people from saying what they think.
• Freedom of Press means the government can't control what the media writes.
• Freedom of Assembly means people can protest by having rallies or marches.
• Freedom of Petition means people can request that the government change things.