Books in The Bill of Rights series

The Founding Fathers created the Eighth Amendment to protect the people from the kind of abuse they had seen while the colonies were under British rule. But to this day, Americans continue to argue about what exactly cruel and unusual, excessive bail, and excessive fines mean. Through full-color and black-and-white photos, engaging text, and primary sources, students will examine the events leading up to the Eighth Amendments creation, how it has been defined throughout the centuries, and how it is interpreted today. In addition, informative sidebars and a further reading section with books and websites encourage students to explore the people and events of this time in history in more depth.

The Founding Fathers created the Eighth Amendment to protect the people from the kind of abuse they had seen while the colonies were under British rule. But to this day, Americans continue to argue about what exactly cruel and unusual, excessive bail, and excessive fines mean. Through full-color and black-and-white photos, engaging text, and primary sources, students will examine the events leading up to the Eighth Amendments creation, how it has been defined throughout the centuries, and how it is interpreted today. In addition, informative sidebars and a further reading section with books and websites encourage students to explore the people and events of this time in history in more depth.

The Bill of Rights affords people certain rights that the U.S. Constitution didn't originally outline. The Ninth Amendment guarantees the protection of rights not enumerated in the Bill of Rights. It would be difficult to write a document that protected every single American right, so this amendment protects all those rights left unsaid. The Tenth Amendment defines the relationship between the federal and state government, a concept known as federalism. This amendment aims to solve the issues of federal powers and regulations. In this book, concrete examples and primary sources reveal the importance of these two amendments.

When the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788, it had a major flaw: it failed to acknowledge individual rights. Early Americans were not pleased. They didn't believe their new government was respecting their freedoms. Thus, the Bill of Rights was created. Readers will explore the history, significance, and controversy surrounding the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel or unusual punishment. Primary sources, sidebars, and compelling stories, demonstrate how the amendment protects, and potentially harms, criminals. Historic and present-day examples of long-standing debates about the amendment's controversial "cruel and unusual" clause further illustrate the amendment's importance.