Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. Since then, thousands of amendments have been proposed, but only 27 have been ratified by the requisite number of states. This two-step process for amending the Constitution was designed to balance the need for change with stability.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total amendments proposed to the Constitution | 11,000+ |
| Total amendments ratified to the Constitution | 27 |
| First 10 amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| Date of ratification of the first 10 amendments | December 15, 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791
- Amendments must be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures
- Congress has set a ratification deadline of seven years
- The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
- Over 11,000 amendments have been proposed, but only 27 ratified
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791
The United States Constitution is a remarkable and enduring document, serving as the foundation of American democracy. Since its inception, it has been amended several times to adapt to the evolving needs of the nation. The process of amending the Constitution is a meticulous and thoughtful affair, designed to maintain a balance between the need for change and the stability of established laws.
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. This pivotal moment in American history solidified fundamental rights and liberties for its citizens, setting a precedent for future generations. The Bill of Rights stands as a testament to the nation's commitment to protecting individual freedoms and establishing a just society.
The proposal for these amendments was set in motion on September 25, 1789, when the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. Of these proposed amendments, ten were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures, solidifying their place in the Constitution. The remaining two amendments had different fates, with one being ratified much later as the 27th Amendment, and the other never making it past the proposal stage.
The Bill of Rights encompasses a range of essential freedoms, including religious liberty, freedom of speech and the press, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government. Additionally, it safeguards the right to keep and bear arms, protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures, and ensures their security in their persons, houses, papers, and possessions.
The ratification of the Bill of Rights laid the groundwork for further amendments, with 27 amendments successfully incorporated into the Constitution to date. The process of amending this foundational document is a testament to the nation's commitment to growth, adaptability, and the preservation of the rights of its citizens.
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Amendments must be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures
The process of amending the United States Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the document. It is a two-step process, requiring amendments to be proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This process was designed to balance the need for change with the need for stability. An amendment can be proposed by the US Congress, requiring a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a national convention called by Congress upon application from two-thirds of state legislatures (34 since 1959). However, this second option has never been used.
Once an amendment has been proposed, it must be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures (38 since 1959) to become part of the Constitution. Congress has, on several occasions, stipulated a deadline for ratification, typically within seven years of the amendment's submission to the states. The authority of Congress to set such deadlines was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1939 in Coleman v. Miller. Without a deadline, an amendment can remain pending indefinitely, and some proposals have indeed been ratified long after being proposed.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments include protections for freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to bear arms and the right to peaceably assemble. In total, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution that have been successfully ratified.
The process of amending the Constitution is deliberately challenging, requiring broad consensus across the states. This helps to ensure that any changes made are carefully considered and widely supported, reflecting a significant shift in the nation's plan of government.
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Congress has set a ratification deadline of seven years
The process of amending the US Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the Constitution. It involves two steps: proposing an amendment and ratifying it. Amendments can be proposed by Congress, with a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a national convention called by Congress upon application by two-thirds of the states. For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 out of 50).
Since the early 20th century, Congress has often stipulated a seven-year deadline for the ratification of amendments. This authority was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1921 in Dillon v. Gloss, where the Court held that the Constitution implicitly authorises Congress to "fix a definite period" for ratification. The Court upheld a seven-year deadline for the Eighteenth Amendment, which established Prohibition. The Court's reasoning was that Congress's power to determine the mode of ratification (i.e., by state legislatures or conventions) implies the power to set a deadline.
The seven-year deadline was also upheld by the Supreme Court in 1939 in Coleman v. Miller. In this case, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes suggested that Congress is responsible for "promulgating the adoption" of amendments and thus has the power to determine whether ratification occurs within a "reasonable time". However, some commentators disagree with this interpretation, arguing that the Constitution does not give Congress this role.
The seven-year deadline has been specified for every proposed amendment since 1917, except for the Nineteenth Amendment, which recognised women's suffrage. The Eighteenth Amendment, proposed in 1917, was ratified by three-fourths of the states within the seven-year deadline and became effective in 1920. However, it was later repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933.
In the absence of a deadline, an amendment can remain pending indefinitely. For example, the Twenty-Seventh Amendment, which addressed congressional pay raises, became part of the Constitution in 1992, more than 202 years after it was proposed.
Since 1789, there have been approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution, with 27 amendments successfully ratified and becoming part of the Constitution.
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since its inception, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified in 1791. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, ratified between 1865 and 1870, are collectively referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments. These amendments were essential to reuniting the country after the Civil War and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, as they ended slavery, ensured equal rights for all citizens, and expanded voting rights.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the entirety of the United States, granting Congress the power to enforce this through legislation. The 14th Amendment ensured that the Bill of Rights applied to all citizens, regardless of race, and provided due process and "equal protection of the laws" under federal and state governments. This amendment also eliminated the three-fifths rule and punished states that did not permit male citizens over 21 to vote.
The 15th Amendment secured voting rights for Black men, making it illegal to deny them the right to vote based on race or previous servitude. Despite the passage of these amendments, former Confederate states sought to circumvent them through Black Codes and voting restrictions that targeted Black people. These amendments remain controversial today, with some seeking loopholes to disenfranchise people of colour, while others see them as bulwarks for racial justice.
The Reconstruction Amendments were written and ratified by the Republican Party in the 1860s, with the Democrats in opposition. A century later, in the 1960s, the Democrats took up the cause of civil rights, passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 to further embed the principles of these amendments in modern law. Supreme Court decisions, such as Brown v. Board of Education, also helped enforce and implement the spirit of these important amendments.
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Over 11,000 amendments have been proposed, but only 27 ratified
Amending the US Constitution is a two-step process, as outlined in Article Five of the Constitution. An amendment must be proposed and then ratified before becoming operative. This process was designed to balance the need for change with stability.
An amendment can be proposed in two ways. Firstly, it can be proposed by Congress, requiring a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Secondly, a national convention can propose an amendment, called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of state legislatures. However, this option has never been used.
For an amendment to be ratified, it must be approved by three-quarters of state legislatures, or three-quarters of state conventions. Congress can set a deadline for ratification, typically within seven years, after which the amendment is considered failed.
Since 1789, over 11,000 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress. On average, 200 amendments are proposed during each two-year term of Congress. However, only 27 amendments have been successfully ratified and incorporated into the Constitution.
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. These amendments protect various civil liberties, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as well as the right to bear arms. The remaining 17 amendments were ratified individually over the following centuries, with the most recent, the 27th Amendment, ratified in 1992.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791.
More than 11,000 amendments to the US Constitution have been proposed.
Six amendments have been proposed but not 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 US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788.
Amendments must be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. An amendment may be proposed and sent to the states for ratification by the US Congress, whenever a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives deem it necessary. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
