Bar Exam Practice Questions 2025 - Free Bar Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known collectively as the Bill of Rights. This document was ratified in 1791 to address concerns about individual liberties and to limit the powers of the federal government. It includes essential rights such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, among others.

The Constitution itself is the foundational document establishing the framework of the government, but it did not originally include these specific protections for individual rights, which is why the Bill of Rights was created later. The Declaration of Independence, while a critical historical document, primarily outlined the reasons for the American colonies' break from British rule and does not contain any amendments or provisions related to government structure. Similarly, the Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution but were eventually replaced due to their inadequacies regarding central governance and did not include these amendments either. Thus, the Bill of Rights remains the correct answer as it specifically denotes the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.