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The Importance Of The Bill Of Rights

Decent Essays

“A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse." This quote is from Thomas Jefferson, from December of 1787. He speaks exactly what we still believe today. Our individual rights are extremely important to us, arguably the most important when it comes to our written government. After the constitution was written, people began to notice flaws. How were their individual rights protected? Was the government in control of too much? Did they control American’s God-given rights? These were all questions that were debated extensively which eventually led to the creation of the Bill of Rights, a document that guarantees individual rights and civil liberties, for example free speech, the right to a fair trial, the right to bear arms, and many other things. In 1787, the delegates from the thirteen states gave themselves a pat on the back for finishing the remarkable blueprint for their government – the Constitution of the United States. It served as a strong set of checks and balances and included the executive branch, a legislature, and a federal judicial branch. It didn’t take long after the creation of this Constitution to realize that it had deep flaws. It failed to address individual rights, and stated what the government could do but did not mention what the government couldn’t do. (Unknown, 2017) George Mason, a delegate from Virginia, was the first to propose the

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