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Summative Essay 3
The Bill of Rights
Sergio M Davila
HIST 711
Development of Western Freedoms
Liberty University
Professor Sean Turchin
September 278th, 2025
In the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights resides. This document has
kept the United States honest since 1789, after initial failure of the Articles of Confederation. To
summarize, the Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. To
put it straight, these ten amendments make sure our fundamental inalienable rights are
guaranteed as residents of the United States of America. The main points of these Bill of Rights
are: the first amendment, which secures freedom of speech and religion; the second
amendment, which takes of our right to bear arms; the third amendment disallows soldiers
quartering at your house, without your permission; the fourth amendment outlaws searches
and seizures without a warrant; the fifth amendment protects against double jeopardy and self-
incrimination(the right to remain silent); the sixth amendment gives citizens the right to a
speedy and public trial; the seventh amendment makes sure cases can only be tried for claims
of over twenty dollars; the eight amendment prohibits excessive bail, as well as cruel and
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unusual punishment; the ninth amendment declares that there are additional fundamental
rights that exist outside the Constitution; the tenth amendment bolsters the idea of the
separation of powers and federalism by powers not granted to the government are reserved to
the states or the people.
As the new United States basked in their victory over Great Britain, they were developing
as a new country. The American Colonists morphed from being Patriots and Loyalists to
becoming Federalist or Anti-Federalist. The folks that wanted the United States to have a strong
central government were known as the Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were opposed to having
such a strong central government and advocated for the Bill of Rights, so the people’s rights are
protected and that our government is put in check to avoid developing a tyrant for president.
Many of the new states and delegates refused to sign the Constitutions if the Bill of Rights
weren’t included. In fact, a few states ratified the Constitution as long as the Bill of Rights was
added immediately. The Anti-Federalists were so jaded about the idea of a strong president
because they didn’t want a repeat of King George III, who was a complete tyrant. The new
Americans were afraid of having a controlling government that killed the liberties that were
promised to them in their new republic. This new Constitution, with its Bill of Rights was a
guarantee that the people’s and states rights would always be preserved and protected.
The Bill of Rights main author was James Madison. It was definitely a treatise that listed
the checks and condition on government power. This Bill of Rights was officially made a part of
the Constitution in 1791. One of the greatest things ever is that the original Constitution is on
display at the National Archives Museum. One must understand that this document is a product
of its time. Every citizen wanted assurances that no president would ever have the power of a
King. One thing that also must be understood is that the American Bill of Rights is pretty much
an extension of the English Bill of Rights, that was created in 1689. Another thing that must be
understood is that the first four amendments guarantees individual freedoms and civil liberties.
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It deems that US citizens will be able to critique the US Government without fear of punishment
or retaliation. It must be imprinted in everyone’s brains that of all the ten amendments, the first
amendment is the most important. No matter what anyone thinks, the first amendment is very
integral to the liberty of all social status, races, creeds, religions, sexual orientation, gender,
agem or political affiliation.
The right to bear arms is essentially the idea of the second amendment. This means that
the people have a right to have their own weapons and that towns can have their own militia to
defend themselves against all enemies, foreign and domestic. This was enacted because of the
way the British Red Coats were treating the Colonists. This stemmed from a desre to defend
themselves with extreme prejudice when the ruling government goes rogue or when they have
to go into combat with Native Americans. The Third Amendment outlaws the quartering of
troops.
The Fourth Amendment bars unlawful searches and seizures.
What should be common knowledge by now is that the British Crown had too much
unlimited power to impose their will over the American Colonists, to the point of persecuting all
of the colonists without fail. The next five amendments were essential in being created to
protect citizens unlawfully charged with crimes and things of that nature. Plus, it allowed
citizens to
“plead the fifth” so not as to incriminate oneself. One thing that has to be understood is that
the 9th and 10th Amendments is a further declaration of rights. It must be said that the ninth
amendment covers rights that haven’t been listed yet. The tenth amendment strengthens the
rights of states.1
In summary, it can be stated that when the new United States established itself as a new,
thriving country, their new government, especially the side of the anti-federalists were tired of
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unlimited, powerful central government. This is understandable, being what the people went
through during the American Revolution just to gain freedom from the tyranny of the British
Empire. The new central government (Federalists) did a service for the new United States by
working with the Anti-Federalists in implanting the new Bill of Rights in the new US
Constitution. The Bill of Rights may seem like an archaic tome written over 230 years ago, yet it
still has a powerful imprint on every American citizens’ life. It is such a significant document that
people a thousand years in the future would still conduct themselves according the Bill of
Rights.
1. U.S Constitution. (Bill of Rights). Art 3- 13. Sec. 4
REFERENCE
U.S Constitution. (Bill of Rights). Art 3- 13. Sec. 4
