What do the Bill of Rights amendments primarily protect?

The Bill of Rights amendments primarily protect individual freedoms and rights from governmental interference. Ratified in 1791, these first ten amendments to the United States Constitution guarantee essential liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the right to bear arms, among others. By delineating these rights, the Bill of Rights serves as a crucial safeguard against the potential tyranny of the government, ensuring that the citizens retain certain inalienable rights and can exercise their freedoms without unwarranted intrusion.

In contrast, other areas of focus in the options, such as government authority to tax and rights of the states, do not fall under the purview of the Bill of Rights. Similarly, while voting rights are significant for democratic participation, they are more explicitly addressed in subsequent amendments, such as the Fifteenth and Nineteenth, and are not the core focus of the Bill of Rights itself.