Eleanor Finch
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first signed in 1787 and ratified in 1788. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified together in 1791. Since then, thousands of amendments have been proposed, but only 27 have been ratified by the requisite number of states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Amendments proposed | 11,000+ |
| Number of Amendments ratified | 27 |
| Number of Amendments proposed and sent to states for ratification | 33 |
| Number of Amendments adopted and ratified simultaneously | 10 |
| Number of Amendments pending | 4 |
| Number of Amendments closed | 2 |
| Number of Amendments requiring ratification by three-fourths of states | 38 (since 1959) |
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What You'll Learn
- The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791
- The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, ending alcohol prohibition
- The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
- Congress has proposed over 11,000 amendments since 1789
- An amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of US states to pass
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first ratified in 1788. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and form the basis of many fundamental rights and freedoms in the United States.
The Bill of Rights was proposed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. These first 10 amendments were adopted and ratified simultaneously, and they are often considered the most important part of the Constitution. They were designed to protect the rights of individuals and limit the power of the federal government, ensuring that the new nation would not repeat the perceived abuses of King George III that had led to the American Revolution.
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, and the Third Amendment prohibits the quartering of soldiers in civilian homes without consent. The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments establish important protections for those accused of crimes, including protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to due process, and the right to a speedy trial and legal counsel.
The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in civil cases, while the Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. The Ninth Amendment states that the rights not specifically enumerated in the Constitution are retained by the people, and the Tenth Amendment clarifies that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people.
The Bill of Rights has had a profound impact on the development of the United States, shaping its legal system and political culture. It has also influenced similar documents around the world, as many nations have looked to the United States as a model for constitutional democracy. The first 10 amendments continue to be a subject of debate and interpretation, as their application to modern issues is often contested and evolving.
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The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, ending alcohol prohibition
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since its ratification in 1788, with the first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified in 1791. The 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment, was ratified on December 5, 1933, ending alcohol prohibition across the United States.
The 18th Amendment, which had been ratified in 1919, established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. While many Americans continued to drink alcohol, the amendment led to the formation of an underground market for alcoholic beverages. This gave rise to organised crime, with illegal alcohol production centres growing ties with criminal organisations such as the Chicago Outfit under Al Capone.
As the years went by, public sentiment towards prohibition soured, and by the 1930s, it had flipped from positive to negative. On February 20, 1933, Congress proposed a new amendment to end prohibition, marking the first time in history that an amendment was sent out for ratification by state ratifying conventions. The 21st Amendment was then ratified by the requisite number of states on December 5, 1933, with Utah's state convention being the final state to unanimously ratify the amendment.
The 21st Amendment repealed the nationwide prohibition on alcohol and left the regulation of alcohol sales and manufacturing up to the individual states. Section 2 of the amendment gives states the power to regulate the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol within their borders. This section has been the subject of several Supreme Court decisions, particularly regarding its intersection with the Commerce Clause.
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
The US Constitution has 27 amendments, the first 10 of which were ratified on December 15, 1791, and are known as the Bill of Rights. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, ratified between 1865 and 1870, are together known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
The Reconstruction Amendments were passed in the wake of the US Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. They were essential to reuniting the United States during Reconstruction, and former Confederate states were required to ratify the 13th and 14th Amendments to be readmitted to the Union.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the entirety of the United States and granted Congress the right to enforce this with appropriate legislation. The 14th Amendment ensured that the Bill of Rights applied to all citizens of the United States, regardless of race, and guaranteed birthright citizenship. It also eliminated the three-fifths rule and punished any state that did not permit male citizens over the age of 21 to vote by reducing that state's proportional representation.
The 15th Amendment secured voting rights for Black men, making it illegal to refuse them the right to vote based on race or previous conditions of servitude. However, it did not outlaw literacy tests, poll taxes, and other methods that might prevent poor Black people from voting.
Despite the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments, Southern states sought to circumvent them with Black Codes and Jim Crow laws, which created segregation and restricted voting rights for Black people. To this day, the Reconstruction Amendments remain the subject of controversy and inspiration, with some seeking loopholes to disenfranchise people of color while others view them as bulwarks for racial justice and equity.
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Congress has proposed over 11,000 amendments since 1789
The US Constitution has 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791.
The First Congress submitted the first constitutional amendments to the states for ratification in the fall of 1789. After much debate and revision, the First Congress agreed on 12 amendments, 10 of which were ratified by 1791. These first 12 amendments were open-ended, unlike recent amendments with set time limits for ratification. In 1992, 203 years after it was first proposed, the 27th Amendment was ratified.
Since 1789, Congress has proposed over 11,000 amendments. The first 10 amendments, which make up the Bill of Rights, were introduced by Virginia representative James Madison. Some members protested that the Constitution was so new that they ought not to rush to change it. However, during the ratification process, opponents complained that the Constitution lacked specific guarantees of individual rights. Most framers thought that the states already guaranteed those rights. But to win Virginia's approval, Madison pledged his support for adding specific rights into the Constitution.
The 11,000 amendments proposed by Congress demonstrate the ongoing evolution of American democracy and the interpretation of the Constitution. The large number of proposed amendments highlights the complexity and adaptability of the US political system, as well as the desire to continually refine and improve the nation's foundational document.
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An amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of US states to pass
The process of amending the US Constitution is a complex and lengthy one, requiring broad support across the country. To date, there have been 27 successful amendments, with over 11,000 proposals introduced in Congress since 1789. The first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.
For a proposed amendment to become an operative part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths (38 out of 50) of US states. This can be achieved through one of two methods: via the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or through state ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. The Twenty-first Amendment, ratified in 1933, is the only amendment to have been passed using this method. It is also unique in that it repealed a previous amendment, the Eighteenth Amendment from 1919, which had established the prohibition of alcohol.
The importance of this three-fourths requirement cannot be overstated. It ensures that any changes made to the Constitution reflect the will of a significant majority of the country. By necessitating approval from a supermajority of states, the bar for altering the foundational document of the nation is set suitably high. This safeguard prevents hasty or partisan changes and ensures that amendments have enduring support across the country.
The ratification process is not subject to a time limit unless stipulated by Congress. In the absence of a deadline, a proposed amendment can remain pending indefinitely and theoretically could be ratified many years after being proposed. Congress's authority to impose a ratification deadline was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1939 in Coleman v. Miller.
Six amendments have been adopted by Congress but have not met the required number of state ratifications. Four of these proposals are still pending, while the other two have failed, either by their own terms or by the terms of the resolution proposing them.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution.
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. Since then, 17 more amendments have been added, with the most recent being added in 1951.
For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 states since 1959). This can be done through the state legislatures or state ratifying conventions.
Yes, amendments can be repealed. The only amendment that has been repealed is the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and ended the prohibition of alcohol.
Since 1789, there have been approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution introduced in Congress. However, only 27 of these proposals have been ratified and become part of the Constitution.
