The Bill of Rights Essay “Legitimate liberty is unfettered action according to our will within the limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add "within the limits of the law because the law is often but the will of the tyrant, and always when it violates the rights of the individual" -Thomas Jefferson. The Constitution was created due to the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation that did not simply protect the rights of the people that the Founding Fathers were concerned about. The Constitution was a social contract, an agreement among members of society that people surrender some of their liberty to the government for the government's protection of their natural rights. Then the Constitution was created. Many citizens were concerned that the new government was too powerful. Citizens feared that their rights would be limited. This fear led to demands that a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution, and once the government took action, the first item on the agenda was the drafting of the Bill of Rights. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to clearly state the individual rights of American citizens. The ten amendments of the Bill of Rights are important in protecting the rights of citizens, but amendment one concerns freedom of speech, religion, press and petition, the fourth amendment grants protection against unreasonable searches and seizures without a search warrant, and the fifth. protects the accused by protecting him or her from self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The First Amendment gives citizens many freedoms such as religion and petitioning the government. The First Amendment gives citizens the freedom to choose... middle of paper ......ent guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, and petition, it gives citizens many freedoms. The Fourth Amendment provides privacy and liberty to citizens by protecting them against unreasonable searches and seizures. Amendment Five provides the privilege of self-incrimination and protects a citizen from double jeopardy. The Bill of Rights along with other amendments not included in the Bill of Rights served as a social contract. The contract allows people to connect to the government to prevent the government from committing abuses against citizens. George Washington, first president of the United States of America and leader of the Continental Army, said: “The Constitution is the guide I will never abandon” - George Washington. Since the United States has upheld the Constitution, it has been able to work effectively from time to time..