What was the main idea of baron de montesquieu's book the spirit of laws? government should be split into separate branches. citizens are born with certain natural rights. government enters into a social contract with its citizens. government should not force religion on its citizens.

the first 10 amendments to the u.s. constitution are known as the bill of rights. those 10 amendments establish the most basic freedoms for americans including the rights to worship how they want, speak how they want, and assembly and peaceably protest their government how they want. the amendments have also been subject to much interpretation since their adoption, particularly the right to carry a gun under the second amendment.

"a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference," said thomas jefferson, the author of the declaration of independence and the third president of the united states.