Which of the following was the original purpose of the Bill of Rights?
(1 point)
• to give the people their natural rights
• to restrict the power of the national government
• to restrict the power of state governments
• to list civil rights that would apply to all people
to list civil rights that would apply to all people
The original purpose of the Bill of Rights was to list civil rights that would apply to all people. To get the answer to this question, you can start by understanding the background and context surrounding the creation of the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights refers to the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which were ratified in 1791. These amendments were added primarily to address concerns raised by some of the states and anti-federalists who feared that the original Constitution did not provide enough protection for individual liberties and rights.
The Bill of Rights was designed to ensure that certain fundamental rights and freedoms were explicitly recognized and protected. These rights include freedom of speech, religion, and the press, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to a fair trial, and other important civil liberties.
While the Bill of Rights does restrict the power of the national government by placing limitations on its ability to infringe upon individual rights, its primary purpose is to list and protect civil rights that would apply to all people. It was not initially designed to explicitly restrict the power of state governments, although subsequent interpretations and legal decisions have applied the Bill of Rights to the states as well through a process called "incorporation," ensuring that these rights are upheld at both the federal and state levels.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: to list civil rights that would apply to all people.