Commentary: Founding fathers authored Bill of Rights with our freedom in mind

In colonial America, each colony had its own charter (form of government), and each colony was answerable directly to the king of England and to Parliament. Once the Declaration of Independence from England was signed in 1776, a new form of government uniting the colonies needed to be established, so the Articles of Confederation was written.

When the War for Independence was won, and the Treaty of Paris signed in 1783, the Articles of Confederation remained as the governing document for the new United States of America. A confederation is a loose union of states, and it proved to be inadequate for meeting the needs of a new nation.

A stronger national government was needed to govern all of the states while preserving the power of the individual states. This was a delicate and original task — something that had never been done before!

During the hot summer months of 1787, representatives from the 13 new states convened to correct the inadequacies and failures of the Articles of Confederation. These representatives decided then and there to write the new Constitution of the United States.

Once this new Constitution was written, it needed to be ratified, or accepted, by the states. An intense debate followed for the next nine months. The Federalists argued for a strong national government while the Anti-Federalists feared a strong national government.

To protect the rights of individual citizens and the authority of the states, the Constitution was ratified in June 1788 on the condition that the first order of business would be to amend it to include specific guarantees regarding the rights of individuals and of the states.

The First 10 Amendments to the Constitution, The Bill of Rights, were passed shortly after the Constitution was ratified. These 10 Amendments are:

I.) Freedom of Speech and Press. Right to Peaceable Assembly. Freedom of Religion.

II.) Right to Keep and Bear Arms “being necessary to the security of a Free State.”

III.) No Soldier shall be Quartered in Time of Peace without Consent of Owner.

IV.) Free from Unreasonable Search and Seizure. No Warrants issued without Probable Cause.

V.) No person to be tried for Serious Crime without Indictment by a Grand Jury. May not be tried Twice, nor be compelled to be Witness against Self, nor be deprived of Life, Liberty or Property without “Due Process of Law.”

VI.) Right to a Speedy Trial by Jury of Peers. Right to be Defended. Right to be told Charges. Right to be Confronted by Witnesses Against Him.

VII.) Right of Trial by Jury.

VIII.) Excessive Bail shall nor excessive fines imposed. No Cruel or Unusual Punishment.

IX.) The Enumeration of Rights in the Constitution shall not be Construed to Deny Others Retained by the People.

X.) The Powers Not Delegated to the United States Government are Reserved to the States and to the People.

Our forefathers wanted to specifically state these rights in order to guarantee that our liberty would be protected and that we would remain a free people.

Newport Beach resident SHERRY NORD MARRON is a former American studies professor at Orange Coast College and the University of Connecticut.