Overview
Amendments are a changes to the Constitution. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights and the next two after are considered to be in the same family, and they protect the basic rights of the people. Amendments 13-15 are known as the Civil War Amendments, as they concern the abolition of slavery and the protection of rights for everyone. Then Amendments 16-27 don't really have any special name to them and grant a wide variety of protections and freedoms (except for maybe Amendment 18). In all though, these changes to the Constitution are what allows the people to keep the government's power in check.
The Bill of Rights
Amendment I: protects the people's right to practice religion, to speak freely, to assemble (meet), to address (petition) the government, and of the press to publish.
Amendment II: protects the right to own guns.
Amendment III: protects the people from being forced to quarter soldiers- to give them room and board.
Amendment IV: protects the people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
Amendment V: protects people from being held for committing a crime unless they are properly indicted (due process), that they may not be tried twice for the same crime, that you need not be forced to testify against yourself, and from property being taken without just compensation.
Amendment VI: guarantees a speedy trial, an impartial jury, that the accused can confront witnesses against them, and that the accused must be allowed to have a lawyer.
Amendment VII: guarantees a jury trial in federal civil court cases.
Amendment VIII: protects against cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail/fines being set
Amendment IX: ensures that all rights not expressly mentioned are retained by the people and cannot be infringed upon.
Amendment X: any power not granted to the federal government belongs to the states or to the people.
Amendment II: protects the right to own guns.
Amendment III: protects the people from being forced to quarter soldiers- to give them room and board.
Amendment IV: protects the people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
Amendment V: protects people from being held for committing a crime unless they are properly indicted (due process), that they may not be tried twice for the same crime, that you need not be forced to testify against yourself, and from property being taken without just compensation.
Amendment VI: guarantees a speedy trial, an impartial jury, that the accused can confront witnesses against them, and that the accused must be allowed to have a lawyer.
Amendment VII: guarantees a jury trial in federal civil court cases.
Amendment VIII: protects against cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail/fines being set
Amendment IX: ensures that all rights not expressly mentioned are retained by the people and cannot be infringed upon.
Amendment X: any power not granted to the federal government belongs to the states or to the people.
The Almost Bill of Rights Amendments
Amendment XI: defines the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, namely Federal Courts can't force states to be sued without the state's consent
Amendment XII: redefines how the President and Vice-President are chosen by the Electoral College, making them separate elections within the Electoral College
Amendment XII: redefines how the President and Vice-President are chosen by the Electoral College, making them separate elections within the Electoral College
Civil War Amendments
Amendment XIII: abolished slavery.
Amendment XIV: grants citizenship to all those born or naturalized in the US and also prevents states from taking people's rights away.
Amendment XV: ensures that everyone has the right to vote, that voting rights cannot be infringed due to race.
Amendment XIV: grants citizenship to all those born or naturalized in the US and also prevents states from taking people's rights away.
Amendment XV: ensures that everyone has the right to vote, that voting rights cannot be infringed due to race.
Later Amendments
Amendment XVI: authorizes the United States to collect income tax without regard to the population of the states.
Amendment XVII: shifted the election of Senators from the state legislatures to the people (within their respective states of course)
Amendment XVIII: abolished the sale or manufacture of alcohol, otherwise known as prohibition.
Amendment XIX: ensures that gender cannot be used as a criteria for voting (gave women the right to vote)
Amendment XX: set new start dates for the terms of the Congress and the President, making the election dates and the inauguration dates closer to each other.
Amendment XXI: repealed the 18th Amendment.
Amendment XXII: set a limit on the terms of the office of President- two four-year terms or a maximum of 10 years total.
Amendment XXIII: grants the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) the right to three electors in Presidential elections.
Amendment XXIV: prohibits poll taxes.
Amendment XXV: establishes a line of succession to the Presidency, and also establishes rules for a President who becomes unable to perform his duties while in office.
Amendment XXVI: grants any person 18 years of age or over the right vote.
Amendment XXVII: any law that increased the pay of legislators will not take effect until the next term
Amendment XVII: shifted the election of Senators from the state legislatures to the people (within their respective states of course)
Amendment XVIII: abolished the sale or manufacture of alcohol, otherwise known as prohibition.
Amendment XIX: ensures that gender cannot be used as a criteria for voting (gave women the right to vote)
Amendment XX: set new start dates for the terms of the Congress and the President, making the election dates and the inauguration dates closer to each other.
Amendment XXI: repealed the 18th Amendment.
Amendment XXII: set a limit on the terms of the office of President- two four-year terms or a maximum of 10 years total.
Amendment XXIII: grants the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) the right to three electors in Presidential elections.
Amendment XXIV: prohibits poll taxes.
Amendment XXV: establishes a line of succession to the Presidency, and also establishes rules for a President who becomes unable to perform his duties while in office.
Amendment XXVI: grants any person 18 years of age or over the right vote.
Amendment XXVII: any law that increased the pay of legislators will not take effect until the next term