Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was ratified in 1789. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. Since then, amendments have been added periodically, with the most recent one, the 27th Amendment, being added in 1992. The process of amending the Constitution is complex and involves proposals from Congress or state legislatures, followed by ratification by a specified number of states. Despite thousands of proposals to amend the Constitution over the years, only a small fraction have successfully become part of this foundational document.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of amendments proposed | More than 11,000 |
| Number of amendments ratified | 27 |
| First 10 amendments (The Bill of Rights) ratified | December 15, 1791 |
| Amendment XI passed | March 4, 1794 |
| Amendment XI ratified | February 7, 1795 |
| Amendment XII passed | December 9, 1803 |
| Amendment XII ratified | June 15, 1804 |
| Amendment XXIII passed | June 16, 1960 |
| Amendment XXIII ratified | March 29, 1961 |
| Amendment repealing prohibition of alcohol | 1933 |
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What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments)
The first ten amendments to the US Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The amendments were proposed by Congress on September 25, 1789, and are currently on display in the National Archives' Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.
The Bill of Rights was created to prevent the abuse of power by the government and to ensure public confidence in the government. Thomas Jefferson advocated for the Bill of Rights, writing to James Madison that:
> "Half a loaf is better than no bread. If we cannot secure all our rights, let us secure what we can."
The first ten amendments include:
- The 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.
- The Second Amendment: A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
- The Third Amendment: No Soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the owner's consent.
- The Fourth Amendment: The right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures.
- The Fifth Amendment: Several protections for people accused of crimes, including the right to a grand jury, protection against double jeopardy, protection against self-incrimination, and the right to due process of law.
- The Sixth Amendment: Additional protections for people accused of crimes, including the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury, and the right to be informed of criminal charges.
- The Ninth Amendment: 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: The Federal Government only has those powers delegated to it in the Constitution.
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The Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th)
The Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments) were adopted between 1865 and 1870, in the five years immediately following the American Civil War. They were written and ratified by the Republican Party, with the Democrats in opposition. The Reconstruction Amendments were essential to reuniting the United States during Reconstruction, and the Confederate states were required to ratify the 13th and 14th Amendments to be readmitted to the Union.
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It was proposed in 1864 and ratified on January 31, 1865.
The 14th Amendment, proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868, addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law for all citizens. It also eliminated the three-fifths rule and punished states that did not permit male citizens over 21 to vote by reducing their proportional representation.
The 15th Amendment, the last of the Reconstruction Amendments, was proposed in 1869 and ratified on February 3, 1870. It prohibits federal and state governments from denying citizens the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
These amendments were intended to guarantee the freedom and certain civil rights of formerly enslaved people, and to protect them and all citizens of the United States from discrimination. They remain in use today and are frequently cited, but their promises were eroded by state laws and federal court decisions in the late 19th century. It wasn't until the mid-20th century, with Supreme Court decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, and legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that the full benefits of the Reconstruction Amendments were realized.
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The 18th Amendment, establishing prohibition
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which established the prohibition of alcohol, was proposed by Congress on December 18, 1917, and ratified by the requisite number of states on January 16, 1919. The amendment was the culmination of decades of efforts by the temperance movement, which argued that a ban on the sale of alcohol would reduce poverty and other societal problems, including immoral sexual behaviour, violence, political corruption, and prostitution. The movement also believed that prohibition would inspire new forms of sociability, create happier families, reduce workplace accidents, and improve the world.
The Eighteenth Amendment declared the production, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors illegal, although it did not outlaw possession or consumption or even explicitly ban the production of alcohol for private, personal use. The amendment's language, which included beers and wines as "intoxicating liquors", surprised many in the public, leading to refusals to follow the amendment in beer and wine-producing regions.
The amendment came into effect on January 17, 1920, one year after it was ratified, as stipulated in its text. To enforce the amendment, Congress passed the National Prohibition Act on October 28, 1919, and the Volstead Act, which defined "intoxicating liquors" as liquor, wine, and beer, on January 16, 1920, the same day the amendment came into effect.
While the Eighteenth Amendment led to a decline in alcohol consumption in the United States, nationwide enforcement proved difficult, especially in cities. Alcohol smuggling, known as rum-running or bootlegging, and illicit bars, called speakeasies, became prevalent. Criminal organisations, such as Al Capone's Chicago Outfit, profited from underground alcohol sales. Gambling and prostitution also increased during this time, contributing to a shift in public sentiment against Prohibition by the late 1920s. The Great Depression further hastened its demise, with opponents arguing that the ban denied jobs to the unemployed and revenue to the government.
In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt included a plan to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment in his successful presidential campaign. On December 5, 1933, the Twenty-first Amendment was ratified, repealing Prohibition and modifying the Volstead Act to permit the sale of beer. Thus, the Eighteenth Amendment's repeal marked the only time in American history that a constitutional amendment has been reversed.
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![Constitution of the United States and of the State of Wisconsin with Amendments to Date and a Brief History of the Admission of Wisconsin to the Union. 1918 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617DLHXyzlL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The 19th Amendment, women's right to vote
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as Amendment XIX, prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote based on sex. This amendment was the culmination of a long and arduous campaign by women's rights activists and their allies, spanning several generations and employing a variety of strategies.
The roots of the women's suffrage movement can be traced back to 1848, when a small group of women gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, galvanizing the movement for women's voting rights. In the mid-19th century, women's suffrage supporters began lecturing, writing, marching, lobbying, and even practising civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical constitutional change. The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected in 1887. Despite this setback, suffrage organizations persisted, with prominent activists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton calling for a new constitutional amendment.
By the late 19th century, new states and territories, particularly in the West, began granting women the right to vote. This momentum continued into the 1890s, with suffrage organizations focusing on a national amendment while also working at the state and local levels. Notable leaders during this period included Lucy Burns and Alice Paul, whose diverse strategies were instrumental in advancing the cause. By 1912, nine western states had adopted women's suffrage legislation, and in 1916, almost all major suffrage organizations united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment.
The entry of the United States into World War I played a pivotal role in shifting public perception. The National American Woman Suffrage Association, led by Carrie Chapman Catt, supported the war effort and argued that women deserved enfranchisement as a reward for their patriotic service. The National Woman's Party also played a crucial role by staging marches, demonstrations, and hunger strikes, highlighting the contradiction of fighting for democracy abroad while denying it at home. These efforts swayed public opinion, and in 1918, President Woodrow Wilson announced his support for the suffrage amendment.
On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, on June 4, 1919, the Senate followed suit. The amendment was then submitted to the states for ratification, requiring the approval of three-fourths of the states. This milestone was achieved on August 18, 1920, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify, and Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby certified the ratification on August 26, 1920.
While the 19th Amendment was a significant victory for women's suffrage, it did not immediately ensure full enfranchisement for all women. Women of colour, particularly in the South, continued to face systemic racism and discriminatory voting laws, and it would take several more decades of struggle before the promise of equal voting rights was fully realized with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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The 22nd Amendment, presidential term limits
The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, which limits presidential terms to two four-year terms, was proposed in 1947, two years after Franklin D. Roosevelt's death. Roosevelt had been elected president four times from 1932 to 1944, and his multiple terms influenced the proposal of the amendment. The 22nd Amendment was ratified in 1951 on February 27, by three-fourths of the states, and it officially established term limits for the presidency.
The idea of presidential term limits dates back to the initial debates surrounding the ratification of the Constitution. At that time, the Framers had differing opinions on how the president should be elected and for how long. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison envisioned a president who would be nominated by Congress and serve for life, but this idea was criticised as it could effectively turn the country into an "elective monarchy".
The 22nd Amendment states that no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has served as President for more than two years of another president's term shall be elected to the office of President more than once. However, this amendment does not restrict the number of times someone can be elected as Vice President and then succeed to the presidency to serve the remainder of the term. The applicability of this distinction has not been tested, as no person has been elected president and vice president in that order.
The 22nd Amendment has been the subject of debate and has seen attempts by presidents and Congress members from various political affiliations to modify or repeal it. Some argue that term limits restrict the ability of voters to choose their preferred candidate. Despite these discussions, the amendment has been in force since 1951 and has prevented six twice-elected presidents from seeking a third term: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
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Frequently asked questions
More than 11,000 amendments have been proposed to the U.S. Constitution, but only 27 have been ratified.
The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.
Since the early 20th century, Congress has given itself a deadline of seven years from the date an amendment is submitted to the states to ratify it.
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds majority 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. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, forbade the United States or any state from denying or abridging the right to vote to any citizen "on account of sex".
