Malcolm Rivera
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first signed on September 17, 1787. An amendment is an addition or change to the Constitution, and it takes two steps to make one. First, it must be proposed by a two-thirds vote in Congress, or by a national convention made up of two-thirds of the states. Second, the amendment must be ratified, or approved, by either three-fourths of the state legislatures or by three-fourths of the states. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and include the famous First Amendment, which gives people the right to gather in groups as long as they are peaceful, the right to speak freely, and the right to freedom of religion. Other important amendments include the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to Black Americans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First 10 Amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| Date of Ratification of the First 10 Amendments | December 15, 1791 |
| Sixth Amendment | Right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury |
| Eighth Amendment | Protection from unreasonably high fines or bail |
| Ninth Amendment | Additional rights beyond those listed in the Constitution |
| Eleventh Amendment | U.S. states cannot be sued by out-of-state or foreign citizens |
| Fourteenth Amendment | Granted citizenship and equal rights to Black Americans |
| Fifteenth Amendment | Gave African American men the right to vote |
| Nineteenth Amendment | Gave women the right to vote |
| Twentieth Amendment | Details on terms of office for Congress and the President |
| Twenty-second Amendment | Limited the president to a maximum of two terms |
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What You'll Learn
The Bill of Rights
The US Constitution is a very important document that was written in 1787. It is like a set of rules that explains how the government should be run. But some people thought that the Constitution didn't do enough to protect the rights of the people. They were worried that the government would have too much power.
So, the leaders at the time decided to add some extra rules to the Constitution. These extra rules are called 'amendments'. The first ten amendments, which were added all together, are called 'The Bill of Rights'. The Bill of Rights helps protect important freedoms and rights that people have.
The First Amendment is the most famous. It gives people several important rights, like the right to gather in peaceful groups, the right to speak freely, and the right to ask the government to address their complaints. It also says that the government cannot tell people which religion to practice. The Second Amendment says that people have the right to own weapons. The Third Amendment says that soldiers can't take over someone's home during war or peace without the homeowner's permission.
The Ninth Amendment is also very important. It says that no one's rights should be used to take away the rights of another person. The Tenth Amendment gives each state some powers that are not given to the government. The Bill of Rights is one of the most important documents in history, as it helps protect the rights and freedoms of the people.
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The right to vote
The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870, gave African American men the right to vote. This was an important step forward, but sadly, many were still not able to exercise their right to vote because of other laws in some states that made it difficult for them. Native Americans and women of any colour were also not allowed to vote at this time.
The Nineteenth Amendment, passed in 1920, finally gave women the right to vote. Women in the US had been working hard for this change since the early 1800s.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment, ratified in 1964, made another important change by removing poll taxes, which had been used to stop African Americans from voting in federal elections. The Twenty-sixth Amendment, passed in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18, giving more young people a say in how their country is run.
These changes to the Constitution show how amendments are used to make sure that more people can have a say in how their country is run and who represents them.
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Protecting citizens' rights
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it has had 27 amendments since then. Amendments are changes or additions to the Constitution. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were approved on December 15, 1791. These initial amendments were added to protect citizens' rights and address concerns that the Constitution did not do enough in this regard.
The First Amendment is the most well-known of these. It gives people the right to assemble peacefully, the right to freedom of speech, and the right to petition the government to address their grievances. It also ensures the government cannot impose a particular religion on the people.
The Sixth Amendment, also adopted in 1791, guarantees citizens the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury. It also grants them the right to legal representation and to bring their own witnesses to trial. The Eighth Amendment, adopted the same year, protects individuals from excessive fines or bail.
The Ninth Amendment, also from 1791, states that citizens' rights are not limited to those listed in the Constitution and that they retain other rights not explicitly mentioned. The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, granted citizenship and equal civil and legal rights to Black Americans, although these rights were often not respected in practice due to Jim Crow laws.
The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, gave African American men the right to vote, but it was challenging for them to exercise this right due to other laws in southern states. The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, granted women the right to vote, a goal for which women had been campaigning since the early 1800s.
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How amendments are made
The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were approved on December 15, 1791. Since then, thousands of amendments to the Constitution have been suggested, but only 17 of these have been passed.
Today, there are 27 amendments to the Constitution in total. Passing an amendment is a two-step process. Firstly, an amendment can be proposed by a two-thirds vote in Congress, including both the Senate and the House of Representatives. An amendment can also be proposed if two-thirds of the states call for it through a national convention. All amendments to date have been proposed by Congress.
The second step is for the amendment to be ratified, or approved, by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. Alternatively, ratification can be achieved through state conventions in three-fourths of the states. Only the 21st amendment used the state convention method.
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The US Constitution's history
The US Constitution is a very important document that was written in 1787 and signed on September 17, 1787. It is made up of a Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights and were ratified on December 15, 1791. These first ten amendments were added because many people thought that the Constitution did not do enough to protect the rights of the people. The First Amendment is the most well-known of these. It gives people the right to gather in peaceful groups, to speak freely, and to ask the government to address their complaints. It also says that the government cannot tell people what religion to practice.
Over the years, more amendments have been added to the Constitution. There are now 27 amendments in total. It is a complicated process to add an amendment, and it has only happened 17 times. First, two-thirds of the members of the Senate and two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives must vote for the amendment. Then, the amendment must be ratified or approved by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
Some of the later amendments made important changes, such as providing voting rights for African Americans and women. The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, gave Black Americans citizenship and equal civil and legal rights. The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870, gave African American men the right to vote. However, it was still very difficult for them to vote due to other laws in southern states. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. Other amendments give rights to citizens, such as the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, as outlined in the Sixth Amendment.
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Frequently asked questions
An amendment is an addition or change to the Constitution of the United States.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. Many people thought it did not do enough to protect the rights of the people. So, the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to address this problem. These amendments give people important rights, like the right to gather in peaceful groups, the right to speak freely, and the right to ask the government to address complaints. Amendments can also change how the government is run and how people are elected to public offices.
It takes two steps to add an amendment to the Constitution. First, the amendment must be proposed by a two-thirds vote in Congress, including both the Senate and the House of Representatives. An amendment can also be proposed if two-thirds of the states call for it through a national convention. Second, the amendment must be ratified (approved) by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by three-fourths of the states through state conventions.
