Why was the Eight Amendment put into the Constitution?

Answer 1

The first ten amendments to the Constitution where written as the Bill of Rights. The writers of the constitution wanted to ensure that the abuses of power would never be inflicted on citizen's of this new nation. Everyone of the first amendments addresses an abuse of power by the government that the people of this country had been seen as real threats. Remember it was a different time then. We now take for granted many of the freedoms the original bill of right addresses. For instance the 3rd amendment states you will never be asked to house the militia. This was a real concern for the people of the time because at any time soldiers could take over your home, eat all your food and basically put you out on the street. One of the powers greatly abused by the English Government was on the whim of Royalty a person could be cast into "The Tower" and be doomed to prison forever. Our times have changed but the basic freedoms we enjoy are due to our Bill of Rights.

Answer 2

The idea behind it was so people couldn't be tortured for small offenses. If you look at our history, we have a history of doing many of the things the bill of rights prevents us from doing. It's there to make sure the government doesn't get too powerful for it's own good and become a dictatorship, or become tyrannical.

Answer 3

This is something of a theme song for the Age of Reason. Our new government was to be a government of law, not men.

Answer 4

There are conflicting theories. I think that it is there to prevent me from singing in public.

Answer 5

to prevent unattainable fines from being imposed because some were abusing their power

Answer 6

to keep the legal system honest pretty much...

Answer 7

so it could later be abolished