What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. This term specifically refers to the amendments that were added to the Constitution to enumerate and protect individual rights and liberties against potential government overreach. The Bill of Rights was introduced to address the concerns of Anti-Federalists who feared that the federal government might infringe on personal freedoms.

The amendments cover fundamental rights such as the freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as well as the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and guarantees of due process and fair trials. By clearly outlining these rights, the Bill of Rights serves as a crucial framework in American democracy to ensure that all citizens have protected freedoms.

The other options refer to different historical documents or concepts. The Federalist Papers are a collection of essays advocating for the ratification of the Constitution. The Articles of Confederation were the original governing document of the United States before the Constitution. The Magna Carta is a historical document from 1215 that limited the powers of the English monarchy but does not pertain directly to the U.S. Constitution.