Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was enacted in 1789. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article Five of the Constitution, which requires amendments to be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. Since 1789, there have been approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution, with members of the House and Senate proposing around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were proposed by the First Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments guarantee certain fundamental rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to peaceably assemble.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of amendments proposed by the United States Congress | 33 |
| Number of amendments ratified by the states | 27 |
| First 10 amendments known as | Bill of Rights |
| Number of proposals to amend the Constitution introduced in Congress since 1789 (as of January 3, 2019) | 11,848 |
| Number of amendments in the Reconstruction Amendments | 3 (13th, 14th, and 15th) |
| Number of amendments that have not been ratified by the required number of states | 6 |
| Number of amendments out of the 6 unratified amendments that are still pending | 4 |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution has 27 amendments
The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Since the Constitution was put into operation on March 4, 1789, 33 amendments have been proposed by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Twenty-seven of these amendments have been ratified by the requisite number of states and are now part of the Constitution. The process of amending the Constitution is governed by statutes enacted by Congress. When an amendment is sent to the states for ratification, the Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process. Once an amendment is properly ratified, the archivist issues a certificate proclaiming that it has become an operative part of the Constitution.
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first ratified in 1788. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. The most recent amendment, the 27th Amendment, was ratified in 1992. The process of amending the Constitution is laid out in Article V of the original document. Amendments must be proposed by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. They then have to be ratified by three-quarters of the state legislatures or by special ratifying conventions in three-quarters of the states.
The amendments to the US Constitution cover a wide range of topics, including civil rights, the election process, and the powers of the federal government. Some of the most famous amendments include the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which grants citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the United States.
The process of amending the Constitution has been used to address issues such as slavery, voting rights, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, known as the Reconstruction Amendments, were passed in the wake of the Civil War to abolish slavery, grant citizenship and due process rights to former slaves, and guarantee the right to vote regardless of race. More recently, the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971 to lower the voting age to 18 years old.
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The first 10 amendments are the Bill of Rights
The US Constitution has 27 amendments, beginning with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, and form the foundation of individual freedoms and rights in the United States.
The Bill of Rights includes the following key provisions:
- The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. It prohibits the government from establishing an official religion and protects the right to practise one's faith freely.
- The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, recognising the importance of a well-regulated militia for the security of a free state.
- The Third Amendment prevents the quartering of soldiers in civilian homes during peacetime without consent.
- The Fourth Amendment safeguards against unreasonable searches and seizures, ensuring the right to privacy and due process.
- The Fifth Amendment protects the rights of individuals during criminal and civil legal proceedings, including the right to remain silent and the protection against double jeopardy.
- The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy trial, the assistance of counsel, and an impartial jury in criminal prosecutions.
- The Seventh Amendment ensures the right to a trial by jury in certain civil cases.
- The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishments, emphasising the importance of proportionality in criminal justice.
- The Ninth Amendment recognises that individuals retain certain unenumerated rights, highlighting the dynamic nature of freedoms and liberties.
- The Tenth Amendment reaffirms federalism by stating that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or the people, reinforcing the balance of power between different levels of government.
These first 10 amendments are significant because they outline the fundamental civil liberties and political rights of US citizens, setting a framework for the interpretation and application of laws, and serving as a cornerstone for the development of American democracy. They reflect the values and principles that underpin the nation's governance and legal system, influencing how Americans interact with their government and shaping the country's political culture.
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Amendments 13, 14 and 15 are the Reconstruction Amendments
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 ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791.
Amendments 13, 14, and 15, also known as the Reconstruction Amendments, were adopted between 1865 and 1870, in the five years immediately following the American Civil War. These amendments were essential to reuniting the country during Reconstruction, and the confederate states were required to ratify Amendments 13 and 14 to be readmitted to the union. They were designed to integrate formerly enslaved Black Americans into society by guaranteeing their freedom, granting them civil rights, and protecting them under the law.
The 13th Amendment, proposed in 1864 and ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The 14th Amendment, proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868, addressed citizenship rights and equal protection under the law for all persons. It granted birthright citizenship and ensured due process and equal protection of the laws under federal and state governments. The 14th Amendment also eliminated the three-fifths rule and punished states that did not permit male citizens over 21 years old to vote.
The 15th Amendment, proposed in 1869 and ratified in 1870, was the last of the Reconstruction Amendments. It prohibited federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment gave Black Americans the right to vote, but Southern states continued to use discriminatory laws, such as poll taxes, to deprive African Americans of their voting rights.
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Congress governs the amendment process
The United States Constitution has had 27 amendments since it was put into operation on March 4, 1789. Approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress since that date (as of January 3, 2019). The authority to amend the Constitution of the United States is derived from Article V of the Constitution. Congress proposes an amendment, and the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is responsible for administering the ratification process under the provisions of 1 U.S.C. § 106b. The Archivist has delegated many of the duties associated with this function to the Director of the Federal Register.
The Archivist and the Director of the Federal Register follow procedures and customs established by the Secretary of State, who performed these duties until 1950, and the Administrator of General Services, who served in this capacity until NARA assumed responsibility in 1985. When a constitutional amendment is sent to the states for ratification, the Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process. Once properly ratified, the archivist issues a certificate proclaiming that an amendment has become an operative part of the Constitution.
Congress has enacted statutes governing the constitutional amendment process. Since the early 20th century, Congress has, on multiple occasions, stipulated that an amendment must be ratified by the required number of states within seven years of its submission to become part of the Constitution. Congress's authority to set a ratification deadline was affirmed in 1939 by the Supreme Court of the United States in Coleman v. Miller (307 U.S. 433).
The process of amending the Constitution is not an easy task. The framers made it difficult to amend the document to ensure its longevity. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously. Six amendments have been adopted by Congress and sent to the states but have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of those amendments are still pending, one has failed by its terms, and another has failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it.
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The Archivist administers the ratification process
The Constitution of the United States has been amended 27 times since it was enacted on March 4, 1789. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article V of the Constitution. The process begins with a proposal from Congress in the form of a joint resolution. Once a proposal is made, the Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process.
The Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is responsible for ensuring that changes to the Constitution are carried out in accordance with the law. The Archivist's role is to uphold the integrity of the constitutional amendment process. The Archivist follows procedures and customs established by the Secretary of State and the Administrator of General Services, who previously performed these duties.
The Archivist submits the proposed amendment to the States for their consideration by sending a letter of notification to each Governor along with informational material prepared by the National Archives' Office of the Federal Register (OFR). The OFR adds legislative history notes to the joint resolution and publishes it in slip law format.
Once a State ratifies a proposed amendment, it sends the Archivist an original or certified copy of the State action, which is immediately conveyed to the Director of the Federal Register. The OFR examines ratification documents for facial legal sufficiency and an authenticating signature. If the documents are in order, the Director acknowledges receipt and maintains custody of them.
Upon receiving the required number of authenticated ratification documents, the OFR drafts a formal proclamation for the Archivist to certify that the amendment is valid and has become part of the Constitution. This certification is published in the Federal Register and serves as official notice that the amendment process has been completed. The Archivist's certification of the facial legal sufficiency of ratification documents is final and conclusive.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution.
More than 11,000 amendments have been proposed, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress since 1789 (as of January 3, 2019).
The Bill of Rights contained 10 amendments, which were ratified in 1791.
