Final answer:
The first 10 amendments, also known as the Bill of Rights, had the key purposes of protecting basic individual rights and limiting the federal government's power to ensure a balance between federal and state authority.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to the United States Constitution to achieve two key purposes. Firstly, to provide assurances and protection for basic individual rights such as freedom of speech, press, religion, and the right to assembly, which are laid out in amendments one through eight.
Secondly, they aimed to assert limitations on the federal government's power, safeguarding a balance between federal and state authority, as specifically outlined in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.
The Ninth Amendment implies that citizens have more rights than those explicitly listed in the Constitution, ensuring the recognition of unenumerated rights such as the right to privacy. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government for the states and the people, which includes local regulations concerning matters like education and public health.
These amendments sought to placate Anti-federalists' concerns about a strong centralized government and provided a framework for protecting liberties against future governmental encroachments.