What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution known as?

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. This term specifically refers to the amendments ratified in 1791, which were designed to protect individual liberties and limit the power of the federal government. The Bill of Rights includes fundamental rights such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. These amendments serve as a crucial foundation for American civil rights and liberties, embodying the principles of personal freedom and justice that the framers sought to enshrine in the Constitution.

The Articles of Confederation, on the other hand, was the first governing document of the United States that outlined the structure of the government before the Constitution was created. The Federalist Papers are a collection of essays written to promote the ratification of the Constitution but are not amendments themselves. The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, which freed slaves in certain territories but does not pertain to the foundational amendments of the Constitution.