Simone Lawson
The US Constitution is made up of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, which was ratified on December 15, 1791. The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The seven articles make up the structural constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Articles | 7 |
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First 10 Amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| Amendments 13-15 | Known as the Reconstruction Amendments |
| Amendments 1, 12, and 25 | Relate to the office of the President and office succession |
| Amendment 19 | Relates to the right of citizens to vote |
| Amendment 18 | Relates to the prohibition of intoxicating liquors |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The US Constitution has seven articles
The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first three articles embody the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, bicameral Congress; the executive, led by the president; and the judiciary.
Article I covers the Legislative Branch, outlining the powers and responsibilities of Congress. Article II covers the Executive Branch, describing the office, qualifications, and duties of the President and Vice President. This article has been modified by the 12th Amendment, which regulates presidential elections, and the 25th Amendment, relating to office succession. Article III covers the Judicial Branch, establishing the Supreme Court and outlining its powers and responsibilities.
Article IV addresses the relationships between the states, including how they interact and recognize each other's laws and decisions. It also covers the admission of new states to the Union. Article V outlines the procedure for amending the Constitution, requiring a proposal by Congress or a national convention and ratification by a specified number of states.
Article VI establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, declaring it to be the highest form of law in the US legal system. It also addresses issues of federalism and the role of treaties. Article VII sets out the process for ratifying the Constitution, including how many states need to ratify it for it to come into effect.
The seven articles of the US Constitution form the foundational structure of the federal government and define the basic principles and organization of the government. They outline the powers and responsibilities of the three branches of government and the relationship between the federal government and the states. These articles provide the framework for how the US government functions and have been amended over time to adapt to the changing needs of the nation.
The 20th Amendment: A Historic Addition to the Constitution
You may want to see also
There are 27 amendments
The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, bicameral Congress, the executive, led by the president, and the judiciary.
Article I covers the Legislative Branch, Article II the Executive Branch, and Article III the Judicial Branch. Article IV outlines the relationships between the states, Article V covers the process of amending the Constitution, and Article VI establishes the Constitution as the supreme law. Article VII sets out the procedure for ratifying the Constitution.
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice, as well as placing restrictions on the powers of the government within US states. The first amendment, for example, covers fundamental freedoms, while the second amendment is the right to bear arms. The third amendment covers the quartering of soldiers, and the fourth amendment covers searches and seizures.
Amendments 13–15 are known as the Reconstruction Amendments, while the majority of the later amendments expand individual civil rights protections, with some addressing issues related to federal authority or modifying government processes and procedures. The twelfth amendment, for instance, regulates presidential elections, while the fifteenth amendment covers the right of citizens to vote in any election for President, Vice President, or any other elected official.
Who Holds the Pen on Constitutional Amendments?
You may want to see also
The first 10 amendments are the Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, bicameral Congress, the executive, led by the president, and the judiciary. Article II describes the office, qualifications, and duties of the president and vice president. The seventh article, Article VII, establishes the procedure used to ratify the constitution.
The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, which was ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The Bill of Rights includes the first amendment (fundamental freedoms), the second amendment (right to bear arms), the third amendment (quartering soldiers), the fourth amendment (searches and seizures), the fifth amendment (rights of persons), the sixth amendment (rights in criminal prosecutions), the seventh amendment (civil trial rights), the eighth amendment (cruel and unusual punishment), the ninth amendment (unenumerated rights), and the tenth amendment (rights reserved to the states and the people).
The Bill of Rights was proposed by the First Congress of the United States, which proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. Ten of these 12 amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. The first two articles were never ratified, and the fourth article was ratified in 1992 as the 27th Amendment.
Amendments: Our Constitution's Evolution
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Amendments 13-15 are Reconstruction Amendments
The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The Reconstruction Amendments are the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the United States Constitution, adopted between 1865 and 1870. These amendments were part of the implementation of the Reconstruction of the American South following the Civil War.
The 13th Amendment, proposed in 1864 and ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It granted Congress the right to enforce this with appropriate legislation should states defy the ordinance. The amendment transformed the United States from a country that was "half slave and half free".
The 14th Amendment, proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868, addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws for all persons. It ensured that the Bill of Rights applied to all citizens of the United States of America, regardless of race. This amendment was bitterly contested, especially by the Southern states, which were forced to ratify it to return their delegations to Congress.
The 15th Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870, was the third and final Reconstruction Amendment. It prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude". This amendment secured voting rights for Black men, making it illegal to refuse them the right to vote on account of race.
The Fourteenth Amendment: Protecting Our Constitutional Rights
You may want to see also
The majority of later amendments expand individual civil rights
The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, which became law on December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights includes amendments such as the freedoms of religion, speech, and the press, the right to bear arms, and the right to a fair trial.
The majority of the later amendments expand individual civil rights. For example, the 14th Amendment, passed in 1868, extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people and granted citizenship to "All persons born or naturalized in the United States." The 15th Amendment, which granted Black citizens the right to vote, and the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, are also important milestones in expanding civil rights.
The 20th Amendment introduced term limits for the presidency, while the 21st Amendment repealed the prohibition of liquor. The 22nd Amendment set term limits for the presidency, and the 24th Amendment abolished poll taxes as a voting requirement. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18, further expanding suffrage.
In addition to these amendments, Congress has also passed other landmark legislation in the 20th century, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which further protected and expanded the civil rights of all citizens. These amendments and laws are a testament to the evolving nature of the US Constitution and its commitment to protecting the rights of its citizens.
Citing Constitutional Amendments: Clause-by-Clause Navigation
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
There are seven articles in the US Constitution.
There are 27 amendments to the US Constitution.
The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
Amendments 13-15 are known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
