When the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution, they knew it wasn't perfect: Their government might be too powerful to respect the rights of its citizens. At the first meeting of Congress in 1789, the congressmen voted on a set of ten amendments, aimed to preserve and protect the rights and liberties of all citizens. These ten amendments comprise the Bill of Rights. With its focus on examples of ordinary citizens who have had the courage to challenge their government and raise their voices at injustice, Russell Freedman's compelling text is essential reading for every American.