Which of the following rights is protected by the Ninth Amendment?

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Prepare for the UCF AMH2010 U.S. History Exam 2. Master key historic concepts with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Get exam-ready!

The Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution is designed to assure that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not lead to the conclusion that other rights do not exist. This amendment emphasizes that the rights retained by the people are not limited solely to those explicitly mentioned in the Constitution. Therefore, the protection of rights retained by the people is fundamental to maintaining a broad understanding of individual liberties, acknowledging that individuals possess rights beyond those enumerated.

The context of this amendment arose from concerns during the drafting of the Bill of Rights, where some feared that listing specific rights might inadvertently imply that any right not listed was unprotected. By safeguarding the rights retained by the people, the Ninth Amendment empowers citizens to assert their rights, even those not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, reinforcing the principle of individual freedom and limiting governmental overreach. This reflects the founding fathers’ intention to protect the various and potentially unenumerated rights of individuals.