Simone Lawson
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified in 1791. Since then, a further 17 amendments have been added, with the most recent being passed by Congress in 1960 and ratified in 1961. In total, more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed, but the process is intentionally difficult and time-consuming, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by a certain number of states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of times the US Constitution has been amended | 27 |
| Number of proposals to amend the Constitution | ~11,848 |
| Number of amendments proposed by Congress and sent to states for ratification | 33 |
| Number of amendments ratified | 27 |
| Number of amendments known as the Bill of Rights | 10 |
| Number of Reconstruction Amendments | 3 |
| Number of amendments proposed that received a vote by the full House or Senate | ~20 |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times
The US Constitution, first drafted in 1787, has been amended 27 times. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. These amendments were proposed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. They include the right to free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to keep and bear arms.
Since then, 17 more amendments have been added to the Constitution. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, known as the Reconstruction Amendments, were added following the Civil War to address issues related to slavery and equal protection under the law. Other notable amendments include the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote, the 21st amendment, which repealed Prohibition, and the 26th amendment, which lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.
The process of amending the Constitution is deliberately difficult and time-consuming. A proposed amendment must be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and then ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states, as specified by Congress. This ensures that any changes made to the Constitution have broad support and are not done lightly.
Despite the high bar for amending the Constitution, there have been numerous proposals to do so. Since 1789, approximately 11,000 to 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress. These proposals have covered a wide range of topics, including voluntary school prayer, making English the official language, and abolishing the Electoral College. However, none of the proposals introduced in recent decades have become part of the Constitution, indicating the significant challenge of successfully amending America's foundational document.
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11,000+ amendments have been proposed
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. Since then, there have been 17 more amendments, the most recent of which gave women the right to vote, lowered the minimum voting age to 18, and abolished poll taxes.
However, this doesn't tell the whole story. In total, more than 11,000 amendments have been proposed. That's a huge number, and it shows just how difficult it is to amend the Constitution. The process is deliberately challenging and time-consuming. A proposed amendment must be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and then ratified by three-quarters of the states.
This two-step process is designed to strike a balance between the need for change and the stability of the nation's plan of government. It ensures that any amendment has a broad base of support and isn't just a fleeting whim or the will of a small but vocal minority.
Despite the large number of proposals, only 33 amendments have ever made it past Congress and been sent to the states for ratification. Of these, six have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four are still pending, while the other two have failed by their own terms or the terms of the resolution proposing them.
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The first 10 amendments form the Bill of Rights
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. James Madison wrote these amendments to limit government power and protect individual liberties.
The First Amendment prohibits Congress from making laws that establish a religion or restrict the free exercise thereof. It also protects the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, and the right to assemble peacefully and petition the government.
The Second Amendment states that a well-regulated militia is necessary for the security of a free state, and that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
The Third Amendment prohibits the quartering of soldiers in civilian homes without the owner's consent, except as prescribed by law during wartime.
The Fourth Amendment protects citizens' right to privacy and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. It requires that warrants be supported by probable cause and describe the specific place to be searched and persons or things to be seized.
The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes, including the right to a grand jury, protection against double jeopardy, protection against self-incrimination, and the right to due process of law.
The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections for those accused of crimes, including the right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, and the right to confront witnesses and present their own.
The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in federal civil cases.
The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment and bars excessive fines.
The Ninth Amendment states that the listing of specific rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.
The Tenth Amendment affirms that the federal government's powers are limited to those delegated to it by the Constitution, with all other powers being retained by the states or the people.
These first ten amendments form the foundation of individual freedoms and limitations on government power in the United States.
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The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
The US Constitution, first drafted in 1787, has been amended 27 times, including the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, which were ratified in 1791. The process of amending the Constitution is challenging and time-consuming, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and subsequent ratification by a requisite number of states.
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are collectively referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments. These amendments were proposed and ratified in the aftermath of the American Civil War, which concluded with the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by General Robert E. Lee, on April 9, 1865.
The Reconstruction Amendments were a critical component of the post-Civil War era, addressing issues related to the reconstruction of the nation and the status of individuals who had been enslaved. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and prohibited involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This amendment marked a significant step towards racial equality and freedom for African Americans.
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, established citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law for former slaves. This amendment transformed the legal landscape by granting citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States", ensuring that the rights afforded to citizens applied to everyone, including those who had been enslaved. It also addressed issues of post-war reconstruction, including the representation of former Confederate states in Congress.
The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, colour, or previous condition of servitude. This amendment ensured that African American men, many of whom had fought for their freedom during the Civil War, were granted the right to participate in the democratic process and have a say in the governance of their country.
Together, the Reconstruction Amendments played a pivotal role in shaping the post-Civil War United States, guaranteeing fundamental rights and protections for African Americans and laying the foundation for a more inclusive and just society.
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The amendment process is difficult and time-consuming
The United States Constitution is widely considered to be one of the most difficult constitutions to amend. Since its creation 235 years ago, there have been approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution, with only 27 amendments ratified, a success rate of nearly 0.002%.
The process of amending the Constitution is intentionally difficult and time-consuming. To ensure the Constitution's longevity, the framers made it challenging to modify. A proposed amendment must be passed by a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of state legislatures. This requirement for supermajorities in Congress ensures that amendments have broad support and are not merely partisan endeavours.
However, the difficulty does not end there. After clearing this first hurdle, the proposed amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures, or 38 out of 50 states. This step is designed to ensure that any amendment has the support of a wide range of states and is not just a regional preference.
The high bar for amending the Constitution has resulted in a very low success rate for proposed amendments. In recent decades, none of the proposals have made it into the Constitution. Since 1999, only about 20 proposed amendments have received a vote in either the full House or Senate. The last time a proposal gained the necessary two-thirds support in both chambers was in 1978 for the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment.
The amendment process's difficulty and time-consuming nature have led to criticism and calls for a new Constitutional Convention. Some argue that the system has led to gridlock and that members of Congress are more focused on re-election than on making necessary changes to the Constitution. However, others believe that recent efforts to amend the Constitution go too far and are an overreaction to dissatisfaction with the government.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times.
There have been over 11,000 proposals to amend the US Constitution, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress since 1789 (as of January 3, 2019).
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Collectively, members of the House and Senate typically propose around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress.
A proposed amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and then ratified by a requisite number of states.
