Final answer:
The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, safeguarding individual freedoms, such as freedom of speech, press, religion, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. They apply to all persons within U.S. jurisdiction and have been incorporated to limit state action through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is the Bill of Rights?
The Bill of Rights is the term for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution that protect individual freedoms from governmental interference. Notable freedoms include the freedom of speech, press, religion, and the right to bear arms, among others. These amendments delineate specific prohibitions against governmental power, ensuring a variety of civil liberties for all persons within the United States, not just citizens. The process of selective incorporation since the Civil War has extended these protections to include actions by state governments through the Fourteenth Amendment and Supreme Court decisions.
Examples of individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights include the First Amendment's protection of free speech and free press, the Fourth Amendment's security against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Eighth Amendment's guard against cruel and unusual punishment. These rights are central to American civil liberties, framing the limits of government and laying out the freedoms considered essential to democracy and personal autonomy.