The U.S. Bill of Rights consists of 10 amendments, part of the founding legacy celebrated by America250.
The Bill of Rights comprises the First through Tenth Amendments to the Constitution. They protect or address rights and liberties including freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition, due process, and protection against unreasonable searches. They also reserve certain powers to the states or the people.
Congress originally proposed 12 amendments in 1789. The states ratified Articles Three through Twelve on December 15, 1791, and those became Amendments One through Ten. The original Article Two was eventually ratified in 1992 as the Twenty-seventh Amendment, while the original Article One remains unratified.
This history explains why the Bill of Rights contains 10 amendments even though 12 articles were initially proposed. It is also distinct from the Constitution’s original seven articles and from the full Constitution, which has 27 amendments today.