The bill of rights

8th Amendment

This Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

4th Amendment

This Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an individual or their private property.

7th Amendment

This Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases.

3rd Amendment

This Amendment prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes. Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes.

2nd Amendment

This Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.

6th Amendment

This Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.

5th Amendment

This Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes. It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury. A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken away without just compensation. People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law (fair procedures and trials.)

1st Amendment

This Amendment provides several rights protections: to express ideas through speech and the press, to assemble or gather with a group to protest or for other reasons, and to ask the government to fix problems. It also protects the right to religious beliefs and practices. It prevents the government from creating or favoring a religion.

10th Amendment

This Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution. If it isn't listed, it belongs to the states or to the people.

9th Amendment

This Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out.