Jonah Patel
The Constitution of the United States has been amended 27 times since it was put into operation on March 4, 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were proposed by the First Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments include the freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to keep and bear arms. The eleventh through twentieth amendments address various topics, including lawsuits against states, presidential elections, the abolition of slavery, civil rights, black suffrage, income taxes, and senatorial elections.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First 10 Amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| First Amendment | 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 |
| Ninth Amendment | States that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out |
| Tenth Amendment | States that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution |
| Eleventh Amendment | Lawsuits against states |
| Twelfth Amendment | Presidential elections |
| Thirteenth Amendment | Abolition of slavery |
| Fourteenth Amendment | Civil rights |
| Fifteenth Amendment | Black suffrage |
| Sixteenth Amendment | Income taxes |
| Seventeenth Amendment | Senatorial elections |
| Eighteenth Amendment | Prohibition of liquor |
| Nineteenth Amendment | Women's suffrage |
| Twentieth Amendment | Terms of office for the President, Vice President, Senators and Representatives |
| Twenty-first Amendment | Repeal of Prohibition |
| Twenty-second Amendment | Term limits for the Presidency |
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What You'll Learn
The first 10 amendments form the Bill of Rights
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. Ten of these proposed amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights". These first 10 amendments are as follows:
> 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 above text is a transcription of the first amendment, which relates to religion, free speech, and the press. The Ninth Amendment clarifies that the listing of specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out. The Tenth Amendment states that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution.
The remaining amendments in the Bill of Rights cover a range of topics, including lawsuits against states, presidential elections, and the powers of the Federal Government. The Twelfth Amendment, for example, states that:
> The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The Bill of Rights forms the foundation for many of the liberties enjoyed by US citizens today. Over time, additional amendments have been proposed and ratified, further shaping the rights and responsibilities of the government and the people.
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The 11th Amendment is about lawsuits against states
The Eleventh Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on February 7, 1795, concerns lawsuits against states. It grants states immunity from lawsuits filed by citizens of another state or country, as well as those based on federal law. The text of the amendment states:
> "The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State."
The Eleventh Amendment was a response to concerns about Article III of the Constitution, which authorised federal courts to hear disputes between parties from different states and countries. The amendment was designed to prevent individual citizens from suing states. This was reaffirmed in the 1793 Supreme Court case Chisholm v. Georgia, where a lawsuit by a South Carolina citizen against the state of Georgia was allowed to proceed. As a result, an amendment was introduced to forbid such lawsuits, which was ratified in 1795 as the Eleventh Amendment.
Over time, the Eleventh Amendment has been challenged and interpreted in various Supreme Court cases. For example, in Pennsylvania v. Union Gas Co. in 1989, the Court held that Congress could abrogate state immunity under its Article I powers. However, this decision was later overruled in Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida, which affirmed that Congress did not have the authority to subject states to lawsuits under Article I.
While the Eleventh Amendment provides states with immunity from certain lawsuits, there are circumstances in which individuals can bring cases against states. For instance, a state may waive its immunity or consent to be sued in federal court under specific conditions. Additionally, the Fourteenth Amendment grants Congress the authority to address discriminatory state laws, superseding the Eleventh Amendment in such cases.
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The 12th Amendment concerns presidential elections
The 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution is specifically concerned with the process of electing the President and Vice President, and it is one of the most significant amendments regarding presidential elections. Before the 12th Amendment was ratified in 1804, the original process for electing the President and Vice President was outlined in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution, known as the Electoral College. The 12th Amendment builds upon this process and makes important changes to it.
One of the key changes made by the 12th Amendment is the distinction it draws between voting for President and Vice President. Originally, electors would cast two votes for President, with the person receiving the most votes becoming President and the runner-up becoming Vice President. This process often led to President and Vice President pairs from opposing parties, which could create political tensions. The 12th Amendment rectifies this by requiring electors to cast distinct votes for President and Vice President, ensuring that they are running mates from the same political party.
Additionally, the 12th Amendment establishes procedures for elections where no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes. If no person obtains a majority of the whole number of electors for President, the House of Representatives decides between the top three candidates. Similarly, if no person obtains a majority for Vice President, the Senate decides between the top two candidates. This amendment also stipulates that only Vice Presidential candidates who are eligible to be President can be considered by the Senate in such a scenario.
The 12th Amendment also addresses the qualifications for serving as President and Vice President. It specifies that to be eligible, an individual must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, at least 35 years old, and a resident of the country for at least 14 years. These qualifications mirror those outlined in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution for the office of President.
Furthermore, the 12th Amendment provides guidance on how to handle vacancies in the office of Vice President. If the Vice Presidency becomes vacant, the President nominates someone to fill the position, subject to confirmation by a majority vote in both houses of Congress. This process ensures that the important role of the Vice President is filled promptly and with the consent of both the executive and legislative branches of government.
In conclusion, the 12th Amendment plays a crucial role in shaping the process of electing the President and Vice President of the United States. By making distinct votes for each office, establishing procedures for electoral deadlocks, outlining qualifications, and providing a mechanism for filling vacancies, the amendment ensures a smoother and more efficient presidential election process. The 12th Amendment stands as a testament to the adaptability and strength of the American constitutional system.
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The 13th Amendment is the abolition of slavery
However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery nationwide as it only applied to areas of the Confederacy in rebellion and not to the "border states" that remained in the Union. Lincoln recognized that a constitutional amendment was necessary to truly abolish slavery. The 13th Amendment states that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
The adoption of the 13th Amendment was a significant moment in American history as it provided a final constitutional solution to the issue of slavery. It was the first of three Reconstruction Amendments, along with the 14th and 15th Amendments, that greatly expanded the civil rights of Americans. The 13th Amendment specifically addressed the issue of chattel slavery, which was implicitly recognized in the original Constitution through provisions such as the Three-Fifths Compromise and the Fugitive Slave Clause.
The Three-Fifths Compromise, found in Article I, Section 2, Clause 3, stated that three-fifths of each state's enslaved population would be counted for representation in the House of Representatives and Electoral College votes. The Fugitive Slave Clause, located in Article IV, Section 2, asserted that a slave who fled to a non-slavery state remained a slave under the laws of their home state. These provisions in the original Constitution complicated the abolition of slavery and led to legal challenges, which the 13th Amendment aimed to resolve.
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The 18th Amendment prohibits liquor
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was passed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified on January 16, 1919, prohibited the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation of intoxicating liquors within and outside the United States. This amendment, also known as the Prohibition Amendment, was the culmination of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which advocated for a ban on the sale of alcohol to address poverty and other societal issues.
The specific provisions of the Eighteenth Amendment made it illegal to manufacture, sell, transport, import, or export intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes. This included alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine, and beer, which were defined as intoxicating liquors under the Volstead Act. The Act allowed for licensed production, use, and sale of alcohol for industrial, medicinal, religious, and scientific purposes, but it did not prohibit the consumption of alcohol or the possession of legally acquired beverages.
The enforcement of Prohibition proved challenging, especially in urban areas where sentiment largely opposed it. The illegal importation and production of alcoholic beverages, known as rum-running and bootlegging, became widespread, and illicit bars called speakeasies sprang up across the nation. The amendment inadvertently contributed to a significant increase in organized crime, with gangs such as the Mafia controlling the illicit liquor trade and reaping enormous profits.
The Eighteenth Amendment was the only constitutional amendment in American history to be repealed. Public sentiment turned against Prohibition by the late 1920s, and the Great Depression further hastened its demise as people argued that the ban on alcohol denied jobs and revenue to the government. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential platform included a plan to repeal the amendment, and his victory led to the end of Prohibition. On December 5, 1933, the Twenty-first Amendment was ratified, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment and modifying the Volstead Act to permit the sale of beer.
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