The Bill of Rights

7th Grade Civics

Why do we need a Bill of Rights?

• Doesn’t the Constitution cover everything?– What does it cover?

• 1791 – The first 10 amendments are added.– Fulfills promises made during the

Constitutional Convention• Civil Liberties & The Bill of

Rights

Section 1

The First Amendment

• Includes five basic freedoms:1. Freedom of Religion2. Freedom of Speech3. Freedom of the Press4. Freedom of Assembly5. Freedom to Petition the Government

Section 1

The First Amendment• Freedom of Religion– Why did/do many people

come to the United States?– How does this work?

1. Establishment Clause?2. Right to practice your faith

as you choose.

Section 1

The First Amendment• Freedom of Speech

(and expression)– The freedom to say

what’s on your mind without fear of punishment by the government

– What is included in the freedom of speech?

Section 1

The First Amendment• Freedom of the Press– Ensures that we receive

various viewpoints.– Why is this important?– Censorship?

Section 1

The First Amendment

• Freedom of Assembly– The right to attend

meetings, rallies, protests, parades, celebrations, etc.

– Implies freedom of association.

Section 1

The First Amendment

• Freedom of Petition– A formal request of something from the

government– What are some examples?

• Limits on 1st Amendment freedoms– Does exercising your rights limit or negatively

impact others?– Slander and libel

Section 1

The Bill of Rights

• Amendments 2 – 10, like the 1st Amendment, were ratified on December 15, 1791.

• Where do the ideas behind these amendments come from?

Section 2

The Bill of Rights

• Amendment II (2nd)– A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the

security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

– Why was this amendment included?– Do we still need it today?

– Gun Control Laws – Good or Bad?

The Bill of Rights

• Amendment III (3rd)– No soldier shall, in a time of peace be quartered in

any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

– Why was this amendment included?– Do we still need it today?

The Bill of Rights

• Amendment IV (4th)– The right of the people to be secure in their persons,

houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things seized.

– What!!– Can Deputy Peters search your locker?

The Bill of Rights

• Amendment V (5th)– Grand Jury and Indictment– Double Jeopardy– The right to remain silent.– . . . nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property,

without due process of law . . .– . . . nor shall private property be taken for public

use, without just compensation . . .– Eminent Domain

The Bill of Rights

• Amendments V, VI, and VIII– Deal with rights guaranteed to people involved in

criminal cases.• Amendment VI (6th)– Speedy and public trial by an impartial jury– Trial should be held where the crime took place– Right to hear and question witnesses– Right to an attorney – who pays for it?

The Bill of Rights

• Amendment VIII (8th) – Right to bail.– No “cruel and unusual punishment”

• Amendment VII (7th)– Civil Law?– Right to jury trial when disagreement exceeds $20• Jury trial can be waived by both parties

The Bill of Rights

• Amendment IX (9th)– The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain

rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

– What does this mean?• Amendment X (10th)– 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 Civil War Amendments• Amendment XIII, XIV, and XV arrive with the

end of the Civil War.• Amendment XIII (13th)– Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude. . .– Confronting the serpent under the table – what

does this mean?

The Civil War Amendments

• Amendment XIV (14th)– Nationalizes the Bill of Rights – what?• States are now bound by the Bill of Rights

– “Equal protection of the laws”– Citizens are “all persons born or naturalized in the

United States . . .”

The Civil War Amendments

• Amendment XV (15th)– Suffrage – the right to vote– Meant to give African Americans the right to vote– Applied only to men– Does it work? Why or why not?

Voting Rights• Amendment XIX (19th)– Women’s Suffrage (1920)

Voting Rights

• Amendment XXIV (24th)– The end of poll taxes– What are poll taxes and how were they

used to limit voting rights for blacks and whites?

Voting Rights

• Amendment XXVI (26th)– Voting Age – 18 (1971)– Old enough to fight, old

enough to vote

Realizing the Dream

• Though the Constitution and its amendments sought to guarantee rights for all Americans, some states passed laws to limit those freedoms for some citizens.

• Think about how your life would be different if certain amendments were not ratified …