s . ▁ ▁The ▁constitution ▁was ▁a ▁federal ▁one , ▁and ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁other ▁feder ations , ▁both ▁ancient ▁and ▁ext ant . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁consists ▁of ▁ 1 0 ▁am end ments ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁Constitution ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 1 , ▁as ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁had ▁promised ▁critics ▁during ▁the ▁deb ates ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 8 . ▁The ▁English ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁( 1 6 8 9 ) ▁was ▁an ▁insp iration ▁for ▁the ▁American ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights . ▁Both ▁require ▁j ury ▁tri als , ▁contain ▁a ▁right ▁to ▁keep ▁and ▁bear ▁arms , ▁prohib it ▁excess ive ▁b ail ▁and ▁forb id ▁" c ru el ▁and ▁unusual ▁pun ish ments ". ▁Many ▁libert ies ▁protected ▁by ▁state ▁constitution s ▁and ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Rights ▁were ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights . ▁ ▁Original ▁frame ▁ ▁Ne ither ▁the ▁Convention ▁which ▁draft ed ▁the ▁Constitution ▁nor ▁the ▁Congress ▁which ▁sent ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁th ir teen ▁states ▁for ▁rat ification ▁in ▁the ▁aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁gave ▁it ▁a ▁lead ▁ca ption . ▁To ▁fill ▁this ▁void , ▁the ▁document ▁was ▁most ▁often ▁titled ▁" A ▁frame ▁of ▁Government " ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁printed ▁for ▁the ▁convenience ▁of ▁rat ifying ▁convent ions ▁and ▁the ▁information ▁of ▁the ▁public . ▁This ▁Frame ▁of ▁Government ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁pre am ble , ▁seven ▁articles ▁and ▁a ▁signed