On December 15, 1791, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, later known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified.
The Preamble to the Bill Of Rights, which expresses the reason they were added:
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Congress OF THE United States
begun and held at the City of New York, on Wednesday
the Fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.
THE Conventions of a number of the States having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best insure the beneficent ends of its institution
RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.:
And then follows those ten Amendments.
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Bolding mine, and worth repeating...
in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added
Ayup.
Terry, 230RN
