What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

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Study for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Civics Test. Explore multiple choice questions and flashcards with detailed explanations. Prepare to become a U.S. citizen!

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. This important set of amendments was ratified in 1791 and serves to protect individual liberties and rights against potential government infringement. Some of the rights safeguarded by the Bill of Rights include freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to a fair trial, among others.

The Bill of Rights was established to address the concerns of Anti-Federalists who feared that a strong central government might overlook or violate the rights of the people. By including these amendments, the framers of the Constitution aimed to ensure that individual freedoms were clearly protected.

In contrast, the other choices do not relate to amendments to the Constitution in this way. The Federalist Papers are a collection of essays written to promote the ratification of the Constitution, the Magna Carta is a historic document that established certain legal rights in England, and the Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States, but they have since been replaced by the current Constitution. Therefore, the term that specifically refers to the first ten amendments and focuses on individual rights is the Bill of Rights.