What does the Bill of Rights consist of?

• A. The first ten amendments to the Constitution
• B. The first ten articles of the Constitution
• C. The ten commandments
• D. The ten major amendments to the Articles of Confederation

Answer: (A)

The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It was added in 1791 to protect individual liberties and to limit the power of the federal government. These amendments lay out fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly; protections against unreasonable searches and seizures; and guarantees of due process and a fair trial, among others. The other options miss the point: the Constitution’s articles outline its structure rather than a rights list; the ten commandments are a religious code, not constitutional law; and there were no ten major amendments to the Articles of Confederation—the Articles were replaced by the Constitution.