Amendment I:         Perhaps the most important part of the Bill of Rights, it protects five of the most basic liberties. They are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to right wrongs.

Freedom of religion means that the government may not force you to accept one set of religious beliefs nor may it interfere with the way you worship.

Freedom of Speech entitles American citizens to say what they think, provided they do not intentionally hurt someone else's reputation by making false accusations.

Freedom of the Press makes it possible for Americans to keep informed about what is going on in government. Reporters and editors can criticize the government without the risk of punishment, provided they do not deliberately tell lies.

Freedom of Assembly makes it possible for Americans to join clubs or political parties, even if those groups represent unpopular views.

Freedom to Petition allows people to tell the government what they think is needed. They can try to prevent the government from acting in a certain way. They can complain to the government without fear of penalty when things aren't going the way they should.

Amendment II:        Guarantees individual states the right to maintain "a well regulated militia," and citizens the right to "keep and bear arms."

Amendment III:         Pledges that in peacetime, citizens will never have to keep soldiers in their homes without consenting. Before the Revolution, the British forced Americans to provide lodging and food for their troops. The colonists bitterly resented this intrusion on their privacy as well as the cost of feeding hungry soldiers.

Amendment IV:        Protects citizens from improper searches of their bodies, possessions, or homes. It requires that a detailed warrant be issued by a judge listing what can be searched.

Amendment V:        Protects the rights of anyone accused of a crime, assuming that everyone is innocent until proven guilty and guarantees against 'self-incrimination.' This means people cannot be forced to testify against themselves. Under the Fifth Amendment, law enforcement officials must produce the evidence necessary to convict a person of a crime. The accused person cannot be made to provide it. In earlier times, people were tortured until they confessed to crimes they may not even have committed. The guarantee against self-incrimination makes sure that unfair pressure cannot be used to make a person confess.

It also holds that "no one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law." In other words, the government must follow certain legal procedures before deciding on a penalty.

The Fifth Amendment also requires the government to pay citizens when it takes over their property for a public use. The government's right to take this property is called 'eminent domain.'

Amendment VI:        Provides more requirements for a fair trial in criminal cases. It guarantees a speedy, public trial by an impartial jury in the area where the crime was committed. The defendant must be able to question the accusers and to force favorable witnesses to testify. The accused has a right to a lawyer.

Amendment VII:        Guarantees that Americans will receive a jury trial in civil (as opposed to criminal) cases involving property worth more than $20. Today, however, people do not bring such cases to federal courts unless a much larger sum of money is involved.

Amendment VIII:        Protects people from having to pay unreasonably high 'bail' in order to be released from prison before they go to trial and from unreasonably high fines.

Just as important, it outlaws cruel and unusual punishment. This requirement, as well as the Fifth Amendment's guarantee against self-incrimination, protects citizens from the use of torture.

Amendment IX:        States that the Constitution and the Bill of Rights do not define all of the fundamental rights people have. Such rights exist whether or not they are defined.

Amendment X:        Holds that the states and the people have powers that are set aside and not listed item by item. These powers are called 'reserved powers.' They can be contrasted with 'express powers,' which are specifically defined in the Constitution.

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