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The United States Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times since it was ratified in 1788. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were passed in 1789 and ratified in 1791. Since then, seventeen additional amendments have been made to the Constitution, with the most recent amendment being the Twenty-Second Amendment, which was ratified in 1951 and limited presidents to two terms in office. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article Five, which requires amendments to be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This process involves either a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives or a national convention called by Congress.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times the US Constitution has been amended | 27 times |
| Date when the Constitution was put into operation | 4 March 1789 |
| Date when the Constitution was ratified | June 1788 |
| Date when the first 10 amendments were ratified | 15 December 1791 |
| Number of amendments proposed by the US Congress | 33 |
| Number of amendments pending ratification | 4 |
| Number of amendments closed | 2 |
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What You'll Learn
The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were passed in 1789
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times, beginning with the Bill of Rights, which comprises the first ten amendments.
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution because the original document lacked limits on government power. Federalists advocated for a strong national government, while Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and favoured a bill of rights to safeguard individual liberty.
James Madison, then a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, crafted a series of proposals to address the Constitution's deficiencies, which were approved by Congress on September 25, 1789, and submitted to the states for ratification. The original proposal included 12 amendments, but only 10 were ratified and became the Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791.
The amendments in the Bill of Rights include protections for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to keep and bear arms, and the right to be secure in one's home against unreasonable government intrusion. These concepts were built upon those in earlier documents, such as the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), the Northwest Ordinance (1787), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and the Magna Carta (1215).
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The Twenty-Second Amendment limited presidents to two terms
The Twenty-Second Amendment to the United States Constitution limits the number of times a person can be elected to the office of President to two terms. It also sets out additional eligibility conditions for presidents who succeed to the unexpired terms of their predecessors.
The Amendment was a reaction to Franklin D. Roosevelt's election to an unprecedented four terms as president. Roosevelt was elected four times between 1932 and 1944. In the midst of the Great Depression, Roosevelt won the election in 1932 and was re-elected in 1936. In 1940, as Europe was engulfed in war, Roosevelt agreed to break the two-term tradition, winning a further two elections. This gave rise to concerns about a president serving unlimited terms.
The Twenty-Second Amendment was passed by Congress on March 21, 1947, and ratified on February 27, 1951, when 36 of the 48 states had ratified it. The Amendment stipulates that:
> No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
Since the Twenty-Second Amendment was ratified, all subsequent presidents have served no longer than two elected terms.
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The Reconstruction Amendments: 13th, 14th, and 15th
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791. The Reconstruction Amendments—the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments—are among the most significant changes made to the Constitution. These amendments were ratified between 1865 and 1870, in the aftermath of the US Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the entirety of the United States, granting Congress the right to enforce this with appropriate legislation should states defy the ordinance. While the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the Confederacy, it did not cover the entire nation. The 13th Amendment also addressed involuntary servitude, which was later exploited by Southern state legislatures to create laws that worsened conditions for Black people.
The 14th Amendment ensured that the Bill of Rights applied to all citizens of the United States, regardless of race. It also guaranteed birthright citizenship and due process, as well as "equal protection of the laws" under federal and state governments. This amendment eliminated the three-fifths rule and punished states that did not permit male citizens over 21 years old to vote by reducing their 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. This amendment was necessary because even after the 14th Amendment, Black men could not vote in all states. The 15th Amendment did not, however, outlaw literacy tests or poll taxes, which were used to prevent poor Black people and poor whites from voting.
The Reconstruction Amendments were essential to reuniting the country after the Civil War and provided the constitutional basis for enforcing and implementing Reconstruction. They also led to resentment, animosity, and rebellion, as some sought loopholes to continue disenfranchising people of colour. To this day, these amendments remain controversial, with ongoing efforts to either exploit or uphold them.
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The process of amending the Constitution
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first drafted in 1787. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The process of amending the Constitution is not an easy task and is deliberately designed to be difficult and time-consuming.
The authority to amend the Constitution comes from Article V of the Constitution. The process can be initiated by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Alternatively, it can be proposed by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures, although this has never happened. The President does not have a constitutional role in the amendment process.
Once an amendment is proposed, the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is responsible for administering the ratification process. The Archivist follows procedures and customs established by the Secretary of State and the Administrator of General Services, who previously performed these duties. The amendment must then be ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states within seven years of its submission to the states by Congress.
After the OFR (Office of the Federal Register) verifies that it has received the required number of authenticated ratification documents, it drafts a formal proclamation for the Archivist to certify that the amendment is valid and has become part of the Constitution. This certification is published in the Federal Register and U.S. Statutes at Large, serving as official notice to Congress and the nation that the amendment process is complete. The signing of the certification has become a ceremonial function attended by dignitaries, sometimes including the President.
Some notable amendments to the Constitution include those that gave women the right to vote, enacted and repealed Prohibition, abolished poll taxes, and lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18. Other proposed amendments include allowing voluntary school prayer, making English the official language, and abolishing the Electoral College.
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The first elections under the Constitution
The Constitution of the United States has been amended 27 times, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791. The first elections under the Constitution were held from December 15, 1788, to January 7, 1789. These were the first elections of a federal head of state or government in US history.
Prior to the ratification of the US Constitution in 1788, the US had been governed under the Articles of Confederation, which provided for a very limited central government. Power was vested in the Congress of the Confederation, a unicameral legislature consisting of representatives elected by the states. The Congress of the Confederation had elected a president, but this position was largely ceremonial and was not equivalent to the presidency established by the US Constitution.
Under the US Constitution, the president was chosen by the Electoral College, which consisted of electors selected by each state. The Constitution did not require an outright majority in the Electoral College to elect a runner-up as vice president. Each elector cast two votes for two candidates, and the individual who received the most electoral votes became president. If no individual received a majority of votes, or two individuals tied for the most votes, the House of Representatives would select the president in a contingent election.
In the first elections, George Washington was unanimously elected for the first of his two terms as president, and John Adams became the first vice president. Washington was distinguished as the former Commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was incredibly popular and was expected to be elected unopposed. Alexander Hamilton was one of the most dedicated in his efforts to get Washington to accept the presidency, as he foresaw himself receiving a powerful position in the administration.
Three states were ineligible to participate in the election: New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. Washington was inaugurated in New York City on April 30, 1789, 57 days after the First Congress convened. Though no organized political parties yet existed, political opinion was loosely divided between Federalists or Cosmopolitans, and Anti-Federalists or Localists. Both factions supported Washington for president.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times.
33 amendments were proposed, 27 of which were ratified by the requisite number of states and are now part of the Constitution.
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were passed in 1789 and ratified on December 15, 1791. The most recent amendment was the Twenty-Second Amendment, passed on March 21, 1947, and ratified on February 27, 1951.
