The Bill of Rights is a collection of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. It was written in response to the objections raised by Anti-Federalists during the ratification of the Constitution and was proposed to add specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the governments power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people. The Bill of Rights spells out Americans rights in relation to their government and guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual, such as freedom of speech, press, and religion, and sets rules for due process of law. The key ideas in each amendment are:

• First Amendment: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly
• Second Amendment: the right of the people to keep and bear arms
• Third Amendment: restricts housing soldiers in private homes
• Fourth Amendment: protects against unreasonable search and seizure
• Fifth Amendment: protects against self-testimony, being tried twice for the same crime, and the seizure of property under eminent domain
• Sixth Amendment: the rights to a speedy trial, trial by jury, and to the services of a lawyer
• Seventh Amendment: guarantees trial by jury in cases involving a certain dollar amount
• Eighth Amendment: prohibits excessive bail or fines and cruel and unusual punishment for crimes
• Ninth Amendment: listing of rights (in the Bill of Rights) does not mean that other rights are not in effect
• Tenth Amendment: power not granted to the Federal Government is reserved for states or individual people

The Bill of Rights was influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights written in 1776 and other English documents such as the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, the English Bill of Rights, and the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. The guarantees in the Bill of Rights have binding legal force, and acts of Congress in conflict with them may be voided by the U.S. Supreme Court.