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Religous and Political Freedom
1st Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of or abridging the excercise of freedom of speech, press, petition, assembly, or religion. -
Right to Bear Arms
2nd Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. A well regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms may not be taken away. -
Quartering Troops
3rd Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. Soldiers may not be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner in time of peace nor war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. -
Search and Seizure
4th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. The right of people to be secure in their persons, papers, houses, and effects against unreason, able to search and seizure shall not be violated. Warrants must be issued by oath or affirmation. -
Rights of Accused Person
5th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. You may not hold a person for a crime unless they're indictmented by a grand jury. And a person shall not be prosecuted for the same crime twice. A person shall not be punished without due process of the law. -
Right to a Speedy Public Trial
6th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused has the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state, and the district wherin the crime was committed. The accused has the right of assistance of a defence counsel. -
Trial by Jury in Civil Cases
7th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. Any disagreements (civil cases) over the value of $20 or more shall have the right of trial by jury. No fact decided by the jury will be reexamined by the U.S. Courts. -
Limits of Fines and Punishments
8th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. Excessive bail shall not be required nor exessive fines imposed. Cruel and unusual punishments may not be inflicted. -
Rights of People
9th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. The rights spelled out in the constitution does not allow a person to take away the rights held by others. -
Powers of States and People
10th Amendment. Part of the Bill of Rights. The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution nor prohibited by it to the states are reserved to the states or to the people. -
Lawsuits Against States
11th Amendment. Limits the power of U.S. to hear and decide cases against states brought forward by foreign nations or other states. -
Election of Executives
12th Amendment. This amendment states that whoever got first place in election was president and whoever got 2nd was vice president. This is when the electoral college was changed. -
Slavery Abolished
13th Amendment. There shall be no slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime within the U.S. During the time around when this amendment was established, the majority of slavery related bills had protected slavery more than abolishing it. This amendment was in response to people being inslaved and being denied of thier freedom and liberty. -
Civil Rights
14th Amendment. Everybody born in the US are citizens of the US and that may not be taken away from them. Representatives shall be appointed by whole number of each citizen as long as they're male and 21. -
Right to Vote
15th Amendment. The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied by the US or by any state on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legistration. -
Direct Election of Senators
17th Amendment. The process for electing senators allowing for two senators from each state elected by the people for 6 years, each senator having 1 vote and if there is a vacancy, the executive of the state can appoint a temporary senator until filled by election. -
Income Tax
16th Amendment. The congress may not lay nor collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, from appointment among the several states and without regard to any census or enumeration. -
Prohibition
18th Amendment. Amendment 18 prohibits the manufacture, transportation, or sale of any intoxicating liquers. The dry movement was led by rural protestants, and was coordinated by the Anti-Saloon League. The main reason for the Prohibition was because of the (unhealthy) effect of alcohal on citizens. -
Woman Suffrage
19th Amendment. The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied nor abridged by the U.S, or any state on account of gender. This amendment was in response to that women were not able to vote. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton drafted this amendment because the 14th Amendment did not aply to women. -
"Lame Duck" Sessions
20th Amendment. When a president and house of representatives terms end and when they meet in order to make sure no representatives skip the house meetings. -
Repeal of Prohibition
21st Amendment. This amendment reverses the repeals in Amendment 18 (The Prohibiton). Making manufacturing, transportation, or sale of alcohal legal as long as it is within the law of the states. -
Limit on Presidential Terms
22nd Amendment. Amendment 22 puts limits on the election of a president and those serving more than 2 years in place of another elected president to no more than 2 terms. After FDR had been elected for more than 4 terms, there was concern that this would become the norm and would become a dictatorship. This would check the presidents power so they would'nt become too powerful and abuse their powers. -
Voting in District of Colombia
23rd Amendment. Amendment 23 provides voting for the President and V.P. for District of Colombia where the U.S. Government sits. The voting amount is equal to if D.C was a state but no more than the state with the least population. -
Abolation of Poll Taxes
24th Amendment. The right of citizens of the U.S to vote in any primary or other election for President, V.P, Senator, or Representative should not be denied for failure to pay any poll taxes or other tax. -
Presidential Disability, Succession
25th Amendment. Amendment 25 establishes the process of succession when the President is disabled. The Vice President shall fill the vacancy of the President. -
18-Year-Old Vote
26th Amendment. The right of citizens of the U.S., who are 18 or older, to vote shall not be denied on account of age.This amendment was adopted in response to student activism against the Vietnam War. President Nixon signed an extension of the voiting rights act of 1965 that required the voiting age to be 18 in all federal, state, and local elections. -
Congressional Pay
27th Amendment. Congress may not change the compensations until the new congress comes in. (Not allowed to change compensation for themselves).
