The people of America had to agree to the Constitution. If they didn’t, it would not become the law of the land. Eventually, the people of all 13 states agreed.

But many were concerned that it did not clearly protect certain rights. They thought the Constitution should include a specific list of individual rights that the government cannot change, so 10 things were added in 1791.

When anything is added, it is called an “amendment.” To amend something is to change it. The first 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights and they are now part of the Constitution.

Here are some protections of citizens listed in the Bill of Rights:

1. Freedom of religion
2. Right to gather in groups
3. Freedom of speech
4. Right to own guns
5. Freedom to print information
6. Right to a lawyer and a jury if you are accused of a crime
7. A person cannot be tried more than once for a particular crime
8. Government may not punish people in cruel or unusual ways
9. Police may not search a home without the approval of a judge