Contributor: Brian Anthony. Lesson ID: 11490
Did people always have freedoms like those outlined in the Bill of Rights? Any student of history knows people have been (and still are) oppressed. How would the BOR look if you wrote it now?
Americans should appreciate having a Bill of Rights.
Reflect on the following questions as you read about Law in the Middle Ages.
One of history's fascinating — and sometimes terrifying — lessons is that governments and their leaders often abuse power.
Some brilliant people began thinking about how to limit that power a few centuries ago. Oddly enough, the tools they decided upon were a pen and paper!
See how law and power evolved from the grim and brutal days of the Middle Ages to the U.S. Bill of Rights.
Present your timeline to someone and discuss the following questions.
Now that you have an overview of the history of civil liberties and the development of human rights, continue to the Got It? section to look at some of the specific attempts to preserve rights for the people against their government over time.