The Ninth Amendment is an amendment to the United States Constitution that was added to the Bill of Rights in 1791. It states that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people. In simple terms, this means that the rights of citizens will be protected whether these rights are listed or not. The Ninth Amendment was James Madisons attempt to ensure that the Bill of Rights was not seen as granting to the people of the United States only the specific rights it addressed. The amendment has been the subject of much debate among constitutional scholars, and its legal effect and meaning are still disputed. However, it is generally agreed that the Ninth Amendment was intended to protect the rights of citizens that were not specifically listed in the Constitution.