What can accurately be said of the Bill of Rights?

Answer 1

That they are the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, ratified in 1791. The Bill was drafted by James Madison, a Federalist who would become the fourth US President. Madison drew mainly on English law in writing the amendments, but his sources were many, including earlier Colonial documents. The Bill was designed to appease anti-Federalists who believed the Constitution granted too many rights to the federal government. The Bill of Rights defines and protects individual rights, such as freedom of speech, the press, religion (the First Amendment), and the Second, the right to bear arms, while limiting the power of the federal government to curtail or deny these rights. The Third Amendment, covering quartering of soldiers, was a necessary piece of legislation at the time of ratification, but it is and will remain insignificant as long as the US is not occupied by an opposing army.

Amendments 4-8, the so-called "Judicial amendments" protect the rights of individuals suspected of or accused of a crime. They also outline the functions of criminal courts. The importance of the protection they grant cannot be overstated. Amendment 4 covers protection from search and seizure; the 5th guarantees due process and grand juries, and guarantees against double jeopardy and self-incrimination. The Sixth Amendment concerns speedy, impartial trials; trial by jury, the right to confront witnesses and the right to an attorney. Amendment 7 covers jury trials in Federal cases, and the 8th Amendment forbids excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

The Ninth Amendment was smart and forward-thinking, although it may sound dull when read. It protects individual rights that are not covered by the Constitution, which includes the right to privacy in issues that did not exist 200 years ago. Reproductive rights cases have been argued and won on the Ninth Amendment. Finally, the Tenth, or "States' Rights" amendment specifically says that the Federal Government has no rights other than those outlined in the Constitution. So simple a statement leads to numerous forms of interpretation. Those whose interpretation is broad regard the rights of individual states to be on a par wih the federal governments'. Wikipedia presents a comprehensive explanation of the 10th Amendment, a lengthy list of categories under which it has been challenged, and detailed examples of cases that fall under those categories and their outcomes.