The Bill of Rights formally established the United States government's first ten constitutional amendments, ratified in 1791.
The amendments were added after debates over whether the Constitution adequately protected individual liberties. Anti-Federalist critics feared that a powerful national government could infringe freedoms, while Federalists argued that the Constitution already limited federal authority. James Madison helped turn those concerns into specific amendment proposals.
The amendments became part of the Constitution when Virginia supplied the decisive tenth ratification on December 15, 1791. They limit federal power and protect rights involving religion, expression, arms, criminal procedure, property, and reserved powers.
This document is often confused with the Declaration of Independence, which announced separation from Great Britain, and with the Articles of Confederation, the earlier national framework. The Bill of Rights did not create the government; it modified the Constitution by adding explicit protections and structural safeguards.