Articles of Confederation
These governments retained their "sovereignty, freedom, and independence," under the Articles of Confederation
State governments
This Founding Father was the oldest and one of the most respected representatives at the Constitutional Convention
Benjamin Franklin
One of the central purposes of the Constitution was to limit the power of government. This body was charged with interpreting the Constitution, in part for that purpose
The Supreme Court
This Virginia delegate originally proposed the Bill of Rights, only to see it defeated
George Mason
The first right protected in the First Amendment is today interpreted by the Supreme Court to also protect a more general freedom of conscience
Freedom of religion
George Washington complained about the absence of this power in the Articles of Confederation to fund America's national defense
The power to tax
This legislator and later President served as the secretary to the Constitutional Convention and is today considered the "father of the Constitution"
James Madison
The Constitution made it difficult to pass laws to slow down the tendency to poorly use or abuse power. To that end, it created these two houses of Congress that bills had to win passage from in order to become law
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
The Founding Fathers rejected the Bill of Rights for this perhaps unexpected reason
They believed the Constitution already protected those rights
This freedom in the First Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to protect a more general freedom of expression, including the controversial burning of the American flag
Freedom of speech
Despite American independence, this country kept troops on American territory after the Revolutionary War
Great Britain
In order to not alienate Southern states, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that this trade could not be banned until after 1808
Slavery
This feature of the Constitution is designed to separate and disperse power between the Federal and state governments
Federalism
This amendment, alone, protects five of American's most cherished rights
The First Amendment
This right in the First Amendment had one of its earliest precedents in the trial of Peter Zenger and guarantees the right of newspapers and individuals to publish thoughts critical of those in government
Freedom of the press
The failure to raise revenue meant that these people could not be paid for their service after the Revolutionary War
Revolutionary soldiers
The Great Compromise was an agreement, establishing two chambers of this body, one based on population and one based on equal representation for each state, and was designed to win the support of both large and small states
Congress
The Constitution was based, in part, upon the ideas of this English philosopher that the purpose of government should be to limit power and protect peoples' rights.
John Locke
This amendment guaranteed the right to not be subject to cruel or unusual punishment
The Eighth Amendment
This right in the First Amendment is also interpreted as a more general right of association by citizens with other citizens for their own purposes, in addition to their right to protest
Freedom of assembly
This law was the first national effort to abolish slavery by the American Congress
The Northwest Ordinance
George Mason proposed this Amendment to the Constitution that was initially defeated at the Convention
The Bill of Rights
Baron de Montesquieu was an important thinker whose ideas influenced the development of the Constitution with this idea for how different parties and branches should be used to challenge the power of the other parties and branches
Checks and balances
This amendment guaranteed that citizens should not be subject to search or seizure in their homes without a legal warrant
The Fourth Amendment
This right is often paired with the right to protest and is, thus, often the most forgotten of the rights of the First Amendment
Freedom to petition government