The United States Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
Congress originally proposed twelve amendments in 1789, largely in response to objections raised during the debate over ratification. The states ratified Articles Three through Twelve of that proposal on December 15, 1791. Those articles became Amendments One through Ten, forming the Bill of Rights.
The amendments protect several civil liberties and limit federal power. They address freedom of speech and religion, the right to keep and bear arms, protections against unreasonable searches, due process, jury trials, and other rights. James Madison played a major role in shaping the proposals presented to Congress.
A historical detail often causes confusion: the original proposed Article Two was not ratified until 1992, when it became the Twenty-seventh Amendment. The original Article One remains unratified. Thus, the Bill of Rights contains ten amendments even though Congress initially sent twelve proposals to the states.