Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution has 27 amendments, with the first 10, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments include the right to free speech, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Amendments can be proposed by Congress or a national convention, and to become part of the Constitution, they must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. The Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments) abolished slavery and provided equal protection under the law. Other amendments, such as the 21st Amendment, repealed earlier amendments, such as the 18th Amendment, which established the prohibition of alcohol. The process of amending the Constitution is governed by statutes enacted by Congress, and the Archivist of the United States administers the ratification process.
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What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights
The First Amendment protects the 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 keep and bear arms. The Third Amendment prevents the government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens' right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures without a warrant. The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes, including the right to a grand jury, protection against double jeopardy, and protection against self-incrimination. It also states that private property cannot be taken without just compensation.
The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections for people accused of crimes, including the right to a speedy and public trial and an impartial jury. The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases. The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishment. The Ninth Amendment states that the listing of specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that are not listed. Finally, the Tenth Amendment states that the Federal Government only has the powers delegated to it in the Constitution, with all other powers being reserved for the states or the people.
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The Reconstruction Amendments
The 13th Amendment, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery and prohibited involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. This amendment was a significant step in the abolition of slavery and granted freedom to millions of enslaved people in the United States.
The 14th Amendment, passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868, granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. It also prohibited states from abridging the privileges or immunities of US citizens and guaranteed due process of law. This amendment was crucial in establishing civil rights and equal protection for all citizens, regardless of race or previous condition of servitude.
The 15th Amendment, proposed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on March 30, 1870, guaranteed the right of citizens to vote, regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This amendment was a significant step in expanding voting rights and ensuring that African American men could participate in the democratic process.
These three amendments, proposed during the Reconstruction era, were pivotal in shaping the civil rights landscape in the United States. They abolished slavery, guaranteed equal protection under the law, and ensured that all citizens, regardless of race, had the right to vote and participate in the political process. The Reconstruction Amendments continue to serve as a foundation for civil rights and constitutional protections in the United States today.
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The process of amending the Constitution
The United States Constitution was written "to endure for ages to come", as Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in the early 1800s. To ensure its longevity, the framers made it a difficult task to amend the document. The Constitution has been amended only 27 times since it was drafted in 1787, the first 10 amendments being adopted four years later as the Bill of Rights.
The authority to amend the Constitution of the United States is derived from Article V of the Constitution. The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. A constitutional convention has never happened. Congress proposes an amendment in the form of a joint resolution, which is forwarded directly to the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR) for processing and publication. The OFR adds legislative history notes to the joint resolution and publishes it in slip law format.
A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 out of 50). When the OFR verifies that it has received the required number of authenticated ratification documents, it 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 U.S. Statutes at Large and serves as official notice to Congress and the nation that the amendment process has been completed.
In recent history, the signing of the certification has become a ceremonial function attended by dignitaries, sometimes including the President.
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The 27th Amendment
The proposed amendment resurfaced in 1982, when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper arguing that the states could still ratify the amendment. Watson's work sparked a nationwide movement, and over the next decade, several states ratified the amendment. In 1992, Michigan became the 38th state to ratify, and on May 18, 1992, the Archivist of the United States certified that enough states had ratified the 27th Amendment. Congress confirmed this decision on May 20, 1992, and the amendment officially became part of the Constitution.
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Amendments to the US Constitution since 1999
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution, the first 10 of which were adopted and ratified simultaneously and are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. Since 1999, there have been no amendments to the US Constitution. The last amendment was the 27th Amendment, which was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified on February 7, 1795. This amendment modified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which states that 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 foreign state.
The process of amending the US Constitution is outlined in Article Five of the Constitution. Amendments must be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. This process is designed to balance the need for change with the stability of the nation's plan of government. An amendment can be proposed and sent to the states for ratification by a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a national convention called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of the state legislatures.
To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-quarters of the states, either through their legislatures or by a method determined by Congress. Congress has also enacted statutes governing the amendment process, including a ratification deadline affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1939.
While there have been no amendments to the US Constitution since 1999, there have been proposed amendments that have not been ratified. Six amendments adopted by Congress have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of these amendments are still pending, while the other two have failed by their own terms or by the terms of the proposing resolution.
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Frequently asked questions
Amendments are changes or additions to the United States Constitution.
Amendments are made through a two-step process outlined in Article Five of the United States Constitution. First, an amendment must be proposed, either by a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a national convention called by Congress on the application of two-thirds of state legislatures. Second, for an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 states).
There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution. The first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791, form what is known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments include the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to assemble, among others. Other notable amendments include the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and the 27th Amendment, which addressed congressional compensation.
