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

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. This term was established to guarantee specific rights and liberties to the citizens and limit the power of the federal government. These amendments were introduced to address the concerns of Anti-Federalists who feared that the new Constitution did not adequately protect individual rights.

The Bill of Rights includes important protections such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures, among others. These amendments are integral to American law and civil liberties, reflecting the foundational values of democratic governance and individual freedoms cherished in the United States.

Other options, such as The Federalist Papers, refer to a series of essays promoting the ratification of the Constitution. The Declaration of Rights, while a phrase that emphasizes the protection of personal freedoms, is not an official term for the amendments themselves. The Articles of Confederation were the first governing document of the United States, which established a weaker central government before the current Constitution was enacted, making it distinct from the Bill of Rights.