Malcolm Rivera
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, has had 27 amendments since it was put into operation on March 4, 1789. The first ten amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791, are known as the Bill of Rights, which was added to limit federal government power and protect individual freedoms. The Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) were adopted between 1865 and 1870, abolishing slavery and granting citizenship and voting rights to former slaves. Other notable amendments include the 19th, which granted women the right to vote, and the 21st, which repealed the prohibition of alcohol established by the 18th Amendment.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of amendments | 27 |
| First 10 amendments | Bill of Rights |
| First amendment | Freedom of speech |
| Other amendments in the Bill of Rights | Due process, trial by jury, freedom of religion, right to bear arms |
| Number of amendments proposed by the US Congress | 33 |
| Number of amendments not ratified by the required number of states | 6 |
| Amendments that abolished slavery and gave voting rights to former slaves | 13th, 14th, and 15th (collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments) |
| Amendment that prohibited any US citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex | 19th |
| Amendment that repealed the Eighteenth Amendment and prohibited alcohol | 21st |
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What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights
The inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution was a result of debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Federalists advocated for a strong national government and believed that the people and states retained any powers not granted to the federal government. On the other hand, Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and pushed for a bill of rights to protect individual liberties.
One notable amendment within the Bill of Rights is the Ninth Amendment, which declares that individuals have fundamental rights beyond those explicitly stated in the Constitution. These rights are referred to as "unenumerated" and include important protections such as the right to travel, the right to vote, the right to privacy, and the right to make decisions about one's healthcare.
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Amendment IX: Enumerated Rights
The US Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states. It was ratified on June 21, 1788, and there have since been 27 amendments to it. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
The Ninth Amendment, or Amendment IX, is one of these first ten amendments. It was passed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and ratified on December 15, 1791. This amendment addresses "enumerated rights", clarifying that the Constitution does not contain a comprehensive list of citizens' rights. It states:
> "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
This means that the listing of certain rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage other rights retained by the people. In other words, citizens' rights extend beyond those specifically listed in the Constitution, and these unnamed rights are still entitled to legal protection.
The concept of "enumerated rights" emerged from debates surrounding the Constitution's ratification. Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and demanded a bill of rights be added to the Constitution to safeguard individual liberty. In response, Federalists, who advocated for a strong national government, argued that creating a bill of rights would imply that those were the only rights citizens had.
James Madison, then a member of the US House of Representatives, proposed a series of twelve amendments to address these concerns. His initial proposal suggested that the new stipulations would be integrated into the original language of the Constitution. However, after meeting with a Select Committee, his proposals were rephrased into a list of amendments, including the enumerated rights having its own listing.
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Amendment XX: Presidential terms
The Twentieth Amendment (Amendment XX) to the United States Constitution was proposed by the 72nd Congress on March 2, 1932, and was adopted on January 23, 1933, after 36 states (three-fourths of the then-existing 48 states) ratified it. This amendment moved the beginning and ending of the terms of the president and vice president from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3.
The Twentieth Amendment reduced the presidential transition and the "lame duck" period, during which members of Congress and the president serve the remainder of their terms after an election. It established that congressional terms would begin before presidential terms, and that the incoming Congress would hold a contingent election if the Electoral College could not agree on a presidential or vice-presidential candidate.
The Twentieth Amendment also addresses situations in which there is no president-elect. Section 3 of the amendment states that if a president-elect does not qualify before the start of their term, the vice president-elect becomes the acting president until there is a qualified president. Section 3 was almost invoked in 1933, when President-elect Franklin Roosevelt was the target of an assassination attempt. Had the attempt been successful, Vice President-elect John Nance Garner would have become acting president.
The Twentieth Amendment superseded the original text of the Constitution, which set a duration for the terms of federal elected officials but not the specific dates on which those terms would begin or end. The amendment also temporarily modified the Seventeenth Amendment, which fixed the terms of Senators at six years, and Article I, Section 2, Clause 1, which fixed the terms of Representatives at two years.
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Amendment XI: Judicial power
The Amendment XI of the US Constitution, also known as the Eleventh Amendment, pertains to the judicial power of the United States and was ratified on February 7, 1795. This amendment altered a portion of Article III, Section 2, which establishes the federal judiciary and outlines the judicial power of the nation.
The text of the Eleventh Amendment reads: "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." Essentially, this amendment restricts the judicial power of the United States when it comes to legal suits involving a state and citizens of another state or foreign state.
The Eleventh Amendment was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and subsequently ratified by various state legislatures between March 1794 and February 1795. The amendment addressed concerns regarding the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the applicability of the Bill of Rights to the states.
Prior to the Eleventh Amendment, the Judiciary Act of 1789 granted the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus, or legal orders compelling government officials to act according to the law. However, the Supreme Court noted that the Constitution did not permit it to have original jurisdiction in certain matters. The Eleventh Amendment clarified that the judicial power of the United States does not extend to certain suits involving a state and citizens of another state or foreign state.
The Eleventh Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights was added to address concerns about the limits of government power and to safeguard individual liberties. It was written by James Madison and ratified on December 15, 1791.
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Amendment XXIV: Voting rights
The Twenty-fourth Amendment (Amendment XXIV) of the United States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from requiring the payment of a poll tax or any other tax as a condition for voting in federal elections. The amendment was proposed by Congress to the states on August 27, 1962, and was ratified by the states in 1964.
The poll tax was adopted as a requirement for voting by Southern states in the late 19th century as part of a series of laws intended to exclude Black Americans from politics without violating the Fifteenth Amendment. Although the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, gave African American men the right to vote, many were unable to exercise this right due to barriers such as literacy tests and poll taxes. The poll tax, in particular, was used to prevent African Americans and poor whites from voting, as it disproportionately affected those groups. Despite some state-level initiatives to repeal poll taxes during the early 20th century, the practice survived legal challenges and was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1937.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment was a significant step forward in ensuring voting rights for all citizens, regardless of their economic status or race. By eliminating poll taxes as a voting requirement, the amendment removed a financial barrier that had been used to discriminate against certain groups. This amendment affirmed the principle that the right to vote should be accessible to all eligible citizens and not be restricted by wealth or social status.
The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of a democratic society, and the Twenty-fourth Amendment played a crucial role in expanding voting rights and promoting a more inclusive and representative democracy in the United States. It is a testament to the nation's commitment to protecting the rights of its citizens and ensuring their equal participation in the political process.
However, it is important to note that the struggle for voting rights did not end with the passage of the Twenty-fourth Amendment. While the amendment abolished poll taxes in federal elections, it was not until 1966 that the Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes were unconstitutional in all levels of elections. Additionally, other barriers to voting have persisted, and further legislation and legal protections have been necessary to address issues such as voter discrimination and accessibility for elderly and disabled individuals.
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Frequently asked questions
The Bill of Rights is a founding document written by James Madison, which makes up the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, including freedom of speech and due process.
The Constitution lacked limits on government power, and Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments. They also wanted a bill of rights to safeguard individual liberty.
The Twenty-first Amendment, ratified in 1933, repealed the Eighteenth Amendment (ratified in 1919) and prohibited alcohol.
