Mississippi College
Abstract
The first eight amendments in the Bill of Rights were intended to protect Americans ' specific personal rights. The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of these rights and fought so that the people in the United States would have the independence that no other nation had known. These same men were well aware of the unavoidable sacrifices they were going to have to make. Listing every right that a person should possess was impossible to fit into ten amendments. Therefore, congress made the final two amendments in the Bill of Rights to be an all inclusive statute in an effort to prevent the United States government from discovering a loophole and gaining too much power. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments are the final two statutes in the Bill of Rights which outlines the limited control of the government and even more importantly the power of the people.
Analyzing the Bill of Rights: Ninth and Tenth Amendments
History and Explanation of the Ninth Amendment “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people,” the Bill of Rights (as cited in Costello, Killian, & Thomas, 2002, p. 1605). While the first eight amendments protected personal rights for each citizen, not every member congress supported that each of these rights be listed. Some Federalists were concerned that if specific rights of the people were listed in such an important document, the government would take control over that which was not included or mentioned. The freedom of expression, right to keep and bear arms, protection from forced quartering, right to life, liberty, and property, protection from unwarranted search and seizure, right to a speedy trial, right to a trial by jury, and protection from cruel or unusual punishment are all imperative to American 's livelihood. The Ninth Amendment
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