How many amendments are in the Bill of Rights?

• A. The first twenty amendments
• B. The first five amendments
• C. The first ten amendments
• D. The first twelve amendments

Answer: (C)

The main idea tested here is that the Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791 to protect individual liberties and limit the power of the federal government. This is the best answer because the term “Bill of Rights” specifically refers to those ten amendments, the package added early in American history to reassure states and citizens that fundamental rights would be safeguarded. The other options don’t fit because they describe a different number of amendments or suggest amendments added at other times; the Bill of Rights is not the first five, not the first twelve, and not a later group like the first twenty. Today there are 27 amendments in total, but the Bill of Rights specifically denotes the initial ten.