What do the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution collectively refer to?

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. This collection of amendments was created to address the concerns of those who feared that the new Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties. Ratified in 1791, the Bill of Rights ensures specific rights and freedoms such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms.

The significance of the Bill of Rights lies in its role as a fundamental safeguard for individual rights against potential government overreach. It reflects the values and principles held by the Founding Fathers regarding personal freedoms and the importance of limiting governmental power.

The other options refer to important historical documents and events but do not correspond to the first ten amendments of the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence, for example, is a document that proclaimed the independence of the colonies from British rule, while the Articles of Confederation were the initial governing document of the United States before the Constitution. The Constitutional Convention was the gathering that led to the drafting of the Constitution itself, but it does not denote the specific amendments that followed.