Liberty and The Bill of Rights - 531 Words

Upon creating the U.S. Constitution, the framers of America believed that â€Å"in order to form a more perfect union,† we required a government that would â€Å"secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.† They sought to form a political entity that would take the necessary steps to ensure that the people of the nation would have the freedom to act and speak according to their own free will and guarantee their future generations the entitlement to that same liberty. The bill of rights, laid out as the first 10 amendments in the Constitution, guarantees citizens a number of personal freedoms that the government cannot infringe upon. Through the process of incorporation, the amendments not only apply to the federal government, but also to the states and local government. Therefore, allowing for the reservation of powers to the states and the people that were not notably allowed to the federal government. Due to the colonial experience with Great Brita in imposing restrictions on peoples rights, the founders of this nation were suspicious of the governments rise to tyranny, thus a limited government and popular sovereignty were important to them to avoid a monarchial system. To protect our freedoms, the framers created a government where power is derived from its people. John Lockes idea that people are born with natural rights of life, liberty, and property laid foundation to the democracy that lives on today. Locke believed that since people allow itsShow MoreRelated The Bill of Rights and Protection of Civil Liberties Essay845 Words   |  4 PagesThe Bill of Rights and Protection of Civil Liberties When the English came to America to escape religious persecution, things commenced at a shaky start. For example, Puritans fled from England because of religious persecution. 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Many of the founding fathers did not believe it was necessary to spell out these individual liberties because they felt that the U.S. Constitution already made it clear what the limits on the government’s powers were. Soon it would become more evident that the Constitution didn’t go far enough in addressing the issue of national power. As the ratification debates