Ten amendments make up the U.S. Bill of Rights. They were proposed by Congress in 1789 and ratified by the states in 1791 as the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
The amendments protect important civil liberties and place limits on government power. They address freedoms such as religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition, as well as protections involving searches, criminal prosecutions, juries, and due process.
Congress originally proposed 12 amendments, not 10. The first two proposals were not ratified at that time; one concerned congressional apportionment and the other congressional pay. What was originally the third proposal became the First Amendment after the other two failed to receive enough state approval.