Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was enacted in 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified together in 1791. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, known as the Reconstruction Amendments, and the 21st amendment, which repealed the 18th amendment and ended prohibition, are among the most notable. Amendments to the Constitution require ratification by three-fourths of the states and cover a range of topics, including voting rights, presidential term limits, and judicial powers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First 10 Amendments | Ratified collectively as the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791 |
| 11th Amendment | Passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified on February 7, 1795 |
| 12th Amendment | Passed by Congress on December 9, 1803, and ratified on June 15, 1804 |
| 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments | Known as the Reconstruction Amendments |
| 18th Amendment | Established the prohibition of alcohol; ratified in 1919 |
| 21st Amendment | The only amendment to repeal an earlier one (18th Amendment); ratified in 1933 |
| 22nd Amendment | Passed by Congress on March 21, 1947, and ratified on February 27, 1951, limiting the President to two terms |
| 24th Amendment | Passed by Congress on August 27, 1962, and ratified on January 23, 1964, protecting citizens' right to vote |
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What You'll Learn
The first 10 amendments are collectively known as the Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution has 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to limit government power and protect individual liberties. James Madison wrote the amendments, which were influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason, as well as English documents such as the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights.
The first ten amendments were adopted and ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791. Virginia's legislature was the final state to ratify the amendments. The Bill of Rights was ratified separately from the Constitution, as Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated the balance of power between the federal government and the states.
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government. The Second Amendment protects the right to bear arms, while the Third Amendment prohibits the quartering of soldiers in civilian homes without consent. The Fourth Amendment safeguards citizens' privacy and protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes, including the right against self-incrimination and the right to due process of law. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, while 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 the Ninth Amendment states that the listing of specific rights in the Constitution does not deny other rights retained by the people. Finally, the Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states or the people.
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The 18th Amendment established the prohibition of alcohol
The Eighteenth Amendment to the US Constitution established the prohibition of alcohol. Passed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919, the amendment banned the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes within the United States and its territories. This included beers and wines, which surprised many as they are not distilled.
The movement towards prohibition began in the colonial era, but it was not until the late 19th century that it gained national attention. The Anti-Saloon League, formed in the 1890s, played a key role in advocating for prohibition by calling on local and state legislatures to ban alcohol consumption. They were joined by many Protestant and Catholic churches, who argued that prohibition would help eliminate social issues such as political corruption, domestic violence, and prostitution, which they believed were caused by alcohol.
By 1916, 23 states had enacted laws against alcohol and saloons. The following year, the Senate passed a resolution containing a proposed prohibition amendment, which was ratified as the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919. To enforce the amendment, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, in October 1919. This legislation distinguished between the illegality of alcohol for consumption while still authorizing it for scientific, religious, and industrial purposes.
The Eighteenth Amendment had a significant impact on alcohol manufacturing and consumption in the United States. It led to a surge in illegal alcohol production, with criminal organizations, such as Al Capone's Chicago Outfit, controlling underground alcohol sales. It also contributed to an increase in gambling and prostitution, which changed public perception of the amendment from generally positive to negative by the end of the 1920s. The amendment was eventually repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.
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The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on January 16, 1919, mandated a nationwide prohibition on alcohol. The amendment was the result of years of advocacy by the temperance movement, which sought to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages.
However, the Eighteenth Amendment soon proved to be highly unpopular. Many Americans continued to drink despite the amendment, leading to the emergence of a profitable black market for alcohol. This fueled the rise of organised crime, and Americans increasingly came to view Prohibition as unenforceable. As a result, a political movement to repeal the amendment gained momentum throughout the 1920s.
The Twenty-first Amendment, proposed by the 72nd Congress on February 20, 1933, expressly repealed the Eighteenth Amendment. It is the only amendment to have been ratified by state ratifying conventions and is also unique for being the only amendment to repeal a prior one. The Twenty-first Amendment was ratified by the requisite number of states on December 5, 1933, bringing an end to Prohibition and restoring the states' authority to regulate alcoholic beverages.
While the Twenty-first Amendment repealed the nationwide ban on alcohol, several states continued to be "dry states" in the years that followed. Even today, some states closely regulate the distribution of alcohol, and many delegate their power to ban importation to counties and municipalities.
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The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are the Reconstruction Amendments
The Constitution of the United States has 27 amendments, with the first 10 being adopted and ratified simultaneously as the Bill of Rights. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, ratified between 1865 and 1870, are collectively referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments. These amendments were essential for reuniting the nation during Reconstruction following the Civil War.
The Reconstruction Amendments ended slavery, guaranteed birthright citizenship, and ensured civil rights and voting rights for freed African Americans. They also provided the constitutional basis for enforcing Reconstruction-era legislation, such as the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1875 and the Enforcement Acts of 1870-1871. These acts aimed to address the increasing violence and intimidation faced by freed African Americans in the South.
The 13th Amendment, which ended slavery, was the first of the Reconstruction Amendments to be ratified. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted birthright citizenship and ensured due process and equal protection under the law. It also eliminated the three-fifths rule, punishing states that did not allow male citizens over 21 to vote by reducing their representation. Additionally, it barred those who had engaged in insurrection or rebellion or aided enemies of the United States from holding public office unless Congress removed this prohibition.
The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, expanded voting rights by prohibiting discrimination based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Together, these three amendments played a crucial role in shaping the post-Civil War era and securing fundamental rights for African Americans.
While the Reconstruction Amendments laid the foundation for civil rights and voting rights, it is important to note that their enforcement faced challenges. In U.S. v. Cruikshank (1875), the Supreme Court ruled against the use of Enforcement Acts against individuals. Moreover, in the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, the Court declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, unconstitutional.
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The 22nd Amendment limits the President to two terms
The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, passed by Congress on March 21, 1947, and ratified on February 27, 1951, limits the President to two terms. Formally known as the "Twenty-second Amendment" or "Amendment Twenty-two", it establishes term limits for elected presidents and outlines eligibility requirements for succeeding to an unfinished presidential term.
The text of the amendment states:
> "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 President more than once."
This means that no individual can be elected president more than twice, and if they have served as president for more than two years of a term that another president was elected for, they can only be elected once more. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. The amendment text continues:
> "But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term."
The question of term limits for elected officials dates back to the earliest debates surrounding the ratification of the Constitution. Initially, under the Articles of Confederation, there was no office of President, as both legislative and executive authority were vested in Congress. When the office of President was created, there were differing opinions on how long a president should serve. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, for example, envisioned a president nominated by Congress who would serve for life, but this raised concerns about the US becoming an "elective monarchy".
For about 150 years, there were no official term limits for the presidency, and the precedent was set by George Washington, the first president, who voluntarily stepped down after two terms. However, in the 20th century, the issue of term limits came to the fore again. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president, was elected to four terms from 1932 to 1944, and this, along with the unique circumstances of the time, led to greater questions about term limits.
Since the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, all subsequent presidents have served no longer than two elected terms, and there have been several attempts to modify or repeal the amendment by presidents and Congress members from various political affiliations.
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Frequently asked questions
The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights and were ratified on December 15, 1791.
The 18th amendment established the prohibition of alcohol and was ratified in 1919.
The 21st amendment, ratified in 1933, repealed the 18th amendment, thereby ending the prohibition of alcohol.
The 22nd amendment, passed in 1947 and ratified in 1951, limits the US presidency to two terms.
