Which of the following was the original purpose of the Bill of Rights?
(1 point)
O to give the people their natural rights
O to restrict the power of the national government
• to restrict the power of state governments
O to list civil rights that would apply to all people
• to restrict the power of the national government
The original purpose of the Bill of Rights was to restrict the power of the national government.
To determine the original purpose of the Bill of Rights, we need to analyze the options provided.
Option 1: "To give the people their natural rights"
This option is incorrect because the concept of natural rights is generally associated with the Declaration of Independence, which was written prior to the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights does not explicitly mention providing natural rights.
Option 2: "To restrict the power of the national government"
While the Bill of Rights does place limitations on the power of the national government, this was not its primary purpose.
Option 3: "To restrict the power of state governments"
This option is correct. The primary purpose of the Bill of Rights was to restrict the power of state governments. Initially, the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government, but through the Fourteenth Amendment, it was later incorporated to also restrict the power of state governments.
Option 4: "To list civil rights that would apply to all people"
While the Bill of Rights does indeed list civil rights, it is important to note that these rights were originally intended to apply to actions by the federal government rather than all people. Inclusion of all people, irrespective of their citizenship or residency status, was not explicitly mentioned in the original intent of the Bill of Rights.
Therefore, the correct answer is: "to restrict the power of state governments."