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The Bill of Rights and Protection of Civil Liberties Essay

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The Bill of Rights and Protection of Civil Liberties

When the English came to America to escape religious persecution, things commenced at a shaky start. For example, Puritans fled from England because of religious persecution. They were being physically beaten because of their religious beliefs therefore they attempted to create a Utopia or
"City upon a hill" in the New World. There "City upon a hill" began with a government based on religious beliefs. It developed into a government which condemned those who did not believe in the Puritan beliefs. For example, one had to believe in the Puritan religion and attend church to vote and become a member of the Puritan society. This practice further developed into a …show more content…

After its ratification, the Bill of Rights evolved into more realistic terms. The Federalists began to notice the importance of the Bill of Rights as much as the AntiÄ Federalists had.
During the next few years the Bill of Rights began to be accepted by the
American people as the essence towards freedom. As it was noticed more and more over the years, the Bill of Rights became the basis for individual rights. It entitled the American people to rights which they had not experienced before such as the freedom of press and speech.

In Tennessee's "Monkey Trial" of 1925, John Scope, a science teacher, was convicted for teaching evolution. Only 43 years later would that state law be overturned. This constant evolution of the Bill of Rights has made it what it is today, a document claiming that the American people have certain 'unalienable' rights. In 1868, the 14th Amendment was drafted to insure that peoples rights towards life, liberty, and property would not be deprived by the state governments without due process of law. Here, the most basic rights of the people were secured from the state governments. In
Minersville School District vs. Gobits, Lillian Gobitas refused to salute the American flag. She was a devout Jehovah's Witness and was told not to
"`Heil Hitler' nor any other creature." This straight-A student was eventually expelled and here father, Walter, took the case to the Supreme
Court. In 1940 the Court

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