Jonah Patel
The Constitution of the United States is a fundamental document in U.S. history, outlining the country's laws and principles. Since its ratification in 1788, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, with the first 10, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified in 1791. Amendments to the Constitution are proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. This process has been the subject of legal debate, with the Supreme Court affirming Congress's authority to set ratification deadlines in 1939. The amendments cover a range of topics, including the right to keep and bear arms, the prohibition of alcohol, and voting rights.
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What You'll Learn
What are the amendments?
The United States Constitution has 27 amendments, with the first 10 being ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791, and known collectively as the Bill of Rights.
Amendments are changes or additions to the US Constitution, the supreme law of the United States. They are a way to ensure that the nation's laws reflect the country's changing social and political needs. The process of amending the Constitution is deliberately challenging, requiring the proposal to pass through Congress and then be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
The first three amendments to the Constitution are concerned with protecting the rights of citizens. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, while the Third Amendment prohibits the quartering of soldiers in civilian homes without consent.
The Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments) were added following the American Civil War to address slavery and its legacies. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment defined citizenship and guaranteed due process and equal protection under the law, and the 15th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, colour, or previous condition of servitude.
The 18th Amendment, ratified in 1919, established the prohibition of alcohol, but it was later repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits the president to two terms in office.
The process of amending the Constitution is an ongoing one, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress since 1789.
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Why were they added?
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress since 1789. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
The amendments were added to address specific issues and to clarify the powers and limitations of the government. The writers of the Constitution intended for Congress to be part of a system of checks and balances, with a particular focus on limiting the power of the government and securing the liberty of citizens.
For example, the 11th Amendment, passed by Congress in 1794 and ratified in 1795, clarified that the judicial power of the US does not extend to certain suits in law or equity brought against one of the states by citizens of another state or foreign country.
The 18th Amendment, ratified in 1919, established the prohibition of alcohol, while the 21st Amendment, ratified in 1933, repealed it.
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments and were added following the Civil War to address issues related to slavery, citizenship, and voting rights.
The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18, ensuring that citizens of this age group could not be denied the right to vote by any state on account of age.
The process of amending the Constitution is designed to be deliberate and challenging, requiring a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the states.
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How are they ratified?
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution, with 33 proposed by Congress. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
The process of ratifying an amendment to the US Constitution is a complex one. It begins with a proposal from Congress, which then requires ratification by the requisite number of states. This can be done through state ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states, as was the case with the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, the only amendment to be ratified in this way.
The Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process and issuing a certificate when an amendment has been properly ratified. Congress has also enacted statutes governing the process and can set a deadline for ratification, as affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1939.
In the absence of a deadline, an amendment can remain pending indefinitely and be ratified long after being proposed, as there is no time limit on the process. This means that even proposals from decades ago could theoretically still be ratified and become part of the Constitution.
The last time an amendment proposal gained the required two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate for submission to the states was for the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, though this has not yet been ratified by the required number of states.
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What do they change?
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution, with the first 10, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified on December 15, 1791.
The First Amendment prohibits Congress from making laws that infringe on freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to assemble and petition the government.
The Second Amendment states that citizens have the right to keep and bear arms.
The Eighteenth Amendment established the prohibition of alcohol, but it was later repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, which is the only amendment to explicitly repeal an earlier one.
The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments are collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments. The Fourteenth Amendment, in particular, modified Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and states that all persons born or naturalized in the US are citizens and are entitled to due process and equal protection under the law. It also stipulates that representatives should be apportioned according to the number of persons in each state.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18 years old.
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How many have been proposed?
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution to date, with 33 proposed by the US Congress. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Since the Constitution was put into operation on March 4, 1789, Congress has proposed 33 amendments, 27 of which have been ratified by the requisite number of states and are now part of the Constitution. Six proposed amendments have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of those amendments are still pending, one has failed by its own terms, and one has failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it.
The process of amending the Constitution is a complex one. The Joint Resolution of 1789, which proposed the first 10 amendments, is on display in the National Archives' Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. The Bill of Rights includes the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to keep and bear arms.
The Eighteenth Amendment, ratified in 1919, established the prohibition of alcohol. It was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, the only amendment to be ratified through state ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. The Twenty-first Amendment is also the only one that explicitly repeals an earlier one.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution.
33 amendments have been proposed by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification.
The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution make up what is known as the Bill of Rights.
