Major Amendments

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms. The Fifth and Sixth Amendments guarantee the right of every person to trial by jury and safeguard the rights of the accused.

The Ninth Amendment stipulates that the Bill of Rights is not an exhaustive list and that the American people have rights beyond than those expressly stated in the Constitution. Finally, the Tenth Amendment states that all powers not granted to the new federal government are reserved for the individual states and the people.

Popular pages: The Constitution (1781–1815)