Which amendment protects freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition?

• A. The Fourth Amendment
• B. The Tenth Amendment
• C. The Ninth Amendment
• D. The First Amendment

Answer: (D)

The central idea here is the protection of fundamental freedoms granted to individuals. The First Amendment explicitly guards five basic rights: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. It also limits government power by prohibiting establishment of religion, guaranteeing free exercise of religion, and protecting the freedoms of expression, publication, peaceful gathering, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. The other amendments address different topics—unreasonable searches and seizures, reserved powers to states or the people, and rights retained by the people not listed in the Constitution—so they don’t encompass all five freedoms described. Since only the First Amendment covers the freedoms named in the question, it is the correct choice.