The Bill of Rights is composed of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. It was written by James Madison in response to concerns raised during debates over the ratification of the Constitution with regards to a lack of constitutional safeguards for the individual rights and liberties of citizens. Seventeen amendments proposing limitations on governmental power were put forward, but only twelve were approved by the states and of that number, ten were ratified into law in December 1791. Some of the most well-known amendments listed in the Bill of Rights include freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and the right to a fair trial.
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