Final answer:
The first 10 amendments, or the Bill of Rights, were added to the Constitution to define the rights of individual citizens, limit the power of the federal government, and establish states' rights. The answer to the question is D) All of the above.
Step-by-step explanation:
Reasons for the First 10 Amendments to the Constitution
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to the Constitution to accomplish several key goals:
To define the rights of individual citizens, protecting basic freedoms such as speech, press, and assembly.
To limit the power of the federal government, ensuring that it would not become too strong or infringe on individual liberties.
To establish states' rights, by specifying that powers not delegated to the national government remained with the states and the people.
Therefore, the correct answer to the original question is D) All of the above, as the amendments were designed to both limit federal authority and protect individual liberties and states' rights. It is important to note the ongoing process of how these rights have been expanded to also protect against actions by state governments, especially post-Civil War through the Fourteenth Amendment and various Supreme Court decisions.