Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in use, has been amended 27 times since it was enacted in 1789. The US Constitution outlines a two-step process for making amendments, which must be proposed and ratified before becoming operative. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously in 1791 and offer protections for individual liberty and justice, as well as restrictions on the powers of the government. The Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments) were adopted between 1865 and 1870 and abolished slavery and granted citizenship and voting rights to former slaves. In total, 33 amendments have been proposed, with six still pending ratification by the required number of states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of amendments proposed by the United States Congress | 33 |
| Number of amendments ratified and are part of the Constitution | 27 |
| Number of amendments in the Bill of Rights | 10 |
| Number of amendments that are the Reconstruction Amendments | 3 |
| Number of amendments proposed but not ratified by the required number of states | 6 |
| Number of amendments that are still pending | 4 |
| Number of amendments that failed by their own terms | 1 |
| Number of amendments that failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it | 1 |
| Number of states required for ratification | 38 |
| First ten amendments ratified | December 15, 1791 |
| First amendment to be ratified through state ratifying conventions | 21st Amendment |
| Year of the first amendment's ratification | 1933 |
| Year of the first ten amendments' proposal | September 25, 1789 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights
The American Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice. They also place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states.
The first amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The second amendment states that a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The third amendment states that no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. The fourth amendment safeguards citizens' right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant.
Canada's Power to Amend the Constitution: The Act Explained
You may want to see also
The Reconstruction Amendments
The Thirteenth Amendment, proposed in 1864 and ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was passed by the U.S. Senate on April 8, 1864, and, after one unsuccessful vote and legislative maneuvering by the Lincoln administration, the House followed suit on January 31, 1865. The Thirteenth Amendment was swiftly ratified by all but three Union states: Delaware, New Jersey, and Kentucky.
The Fourteenth Amendment, proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868, addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws for all persons. It defines all people born in the United States as citizens and requires due process of law and equal protection for all people. Thaddeus Stevens, the Republican floor leader in the House of Representatives, was a strong advocate for the Fourteenth Amendment. Born during George Washington's administration, Stevens had a long career dedicated to the struggle against slavery and for equal rights for Black Americans.
The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, was the third and final Reconstruction Amendment. It prohibits federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." While voting rights were restricted to white men in all states by 1869, the narrow election of Ulysses S. Grant to the presidency in 1868 convinced Republicans that protecting the franchise of Black men was important for the party's future.
While the Reconstruction Amendments were a significant step towards establishing equality for Black Americans and protecting the rights of formerly enslaved people, their promise was eroded by state laws and federal court decisions throughout the late 19th century. For example, in 1876 and beyond, some states passed Jim Crow laws that limited the rights of African Americans. It was not until the mid-20th century, with Supreme Court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and civil rights legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that the full benefits of the Reconstruction Amendments were realized.
Amending the Constitution: A Dynamic Democracy
You may want to see also
The process of amending the Constitution
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791. Amendments 13–15 are known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
- The U.S. Congress, whenever a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives deem it necessary; or
- A national convention, called by Congress for this purpose, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (34 since 1959). This option, however, has never been used.
To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 since 1959) by either the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or state ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. The latter method has only been used once, for the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment (ratified in 1919) and ended the prohibition of alcohol.
Congress has enacted statutes governing the constitutional amendment process. When an amendment is sent to the states for ratification, the Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the process. Once an amendment is properly ratified, the archivist issues a certificate proclaiming that it has become an operative part of the Constitution. Congress has occasionally stipulated a seven-year ratification time limit for amendments, within which the required number of states must ratify for the amendment to be implemented.
Amendments to the Constitution: A Dynamic History
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Amendments that failed to be adopted
The United States Constitution, which became operational in 1789, has been amended 27 times. Thirty-three amendments have been proposed by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Twenty-seven of these, having been ratified by the requisite number of states, are part of the Constitution. Six amendments adopted by Congress and sent to the states have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of those amendments are still pending, one is closed and has failed by its own terms, and one is closed and has failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it.
The Corwin Amendment
The Corwin Amendment was approved by Congress in 1861, two days before Abraham Lincoln became President. It guaranteed the right of states that legalized slavery to maintain it. While two states ratified this amendment, it was not ratified by three-fourths of all the states, as required.
The Congressional Apportionment Amendment
First proposed in 1789, this amendment would have established a formula for determining the appropriate size of the House of Representatives and the apportionment of representatives among the states following each constitutionally mandated decennial census.
The Titles of Nobility Amendment
Proposed in 1810, this amendment would have stripped United States citizenship from any citizen who accepted a title of nobility from a foreign country.
The Equal Rights Amendment
This amendment sought to ensure that equality of rights under the law was not denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex. It included a provision for Congress to enforce these rights through legislation. Despite a disputed congressional extension of the original seven-year ratification period, the amendment ultimately failed to be ratified by the required number of states by its expiration date of June 30, 1982.
Amendment to Prohibit Child Labor
This proposed amendment would have given Congress the power to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons under 18 years of age, while preserving the authority of state laws.
Amendment for Representation in Congress for the District of Columbia
This amendment sought to provide representation in Congress for the District of Columbia, but it failed to be ratified by the required number of states by its expiration date in 1985.
The Johnson Amendment: A Constitutional Change
You may want to see also
Amendments that expand civil rights
The Constitution of the United States is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government within the U.S. states.
Amendments 13, 14, and 15, known as the Reconstruction Amendments, were adopted between 1865 and 1870, in the five years immediately following the American Civil War. The 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people, granting them citizenship and equal protection under the law. It also nationalized the Bill of Rights, making it binding upon the states. The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted voting rights to formerly enslaved people.
The Civil Rights Act of 1871, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act or the Enforcement Act, empowered the federal government to use military force against people and organizations that conspired to violate the constitutional rights of other citizens. This act targeted racial terrorism in the South and attempted to dismantle white supremacist organizations.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex.
Amending the Constitution: Understanding the Second Amendment
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The American Constitution has been amended 27 times.
33 amendments have been proposed, 27 of which have been ratified.
Article Five of the US Constitution outlines a two-step process for making changes. Amendments must be proposed and ratified before they can be implemented. An amendment can be proposed by either the US Congress, with a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or a national convention called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of state legislatures. For an amendment to be ratified, it must be approved by three-fourths of the states, either through their legislatures or state ratifying conventions.
