On December 15, 1791, ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified by Congress. Of these, the First Amendment addressed the individual freedoms that the original American colonists sought. There are several individual rights expressed in this amendment.

Click on the U.S. Constitution document to read the First Amendment. Scroll over the key words to learn about each one.

→ Think about this: Which of these freedoms is most important to you? Which of these freedoms is the least important? What would happen if none of these freedoms existed?

Those who drafted the Bill of Rights did so with the intention of securing individual rights for the citizens to ensure that Americans would not experience oppressive treatment from the government.

Regarding religion, the drafters wanted to grant American citizens the freedom to practice the religions of the United States in 1789, and they wanted future citizens to be able to freely practice religion in this country.

Let's take a closer look at how religion is addressed in the First Amendment.

In addition to the freedom to choose a religion and a method of practice, the First Amendment also prevents the government from creating a church or favoring one type of religion over another. This clause is intended to create a "separation of church and state," meaning that the government (state) will not regulate religion or worship in the United States. This is referred to as the Establishment Clause. American citizens are also given the right to actively practice any religion that they choose based on the Free Exercise Clause taken from this section of the amendment "Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

Read the following scenarios involving the freedom of religion within the First Amendment. Answer the questions that follow.