The original purpose of the Bill of Rights was to guarantee certain individual rights and prevent abuses of power by the federal government. The framers of the US Constitution wanted to ensure that citizens had protections for their individual liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and the right to bear arms and a fair trial. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791, and it has since been considered an essential part of the US legal system.
