The Constitution can be amended to change or add to it through the amendment process. An amendment must be proposed by two-thirds of Congress or through a convention called for by two-thirds of the states, and then ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures. There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights which protects civil liberties, and other important amendments dealing with slavery, citizenship rights, voting rights, and privacy.

1. Constitutional Amendments

2. Constitutional Amendments
• The Constitution is not perfect, and was not
meant to be
• The reason it has survived for more than 230
years is because it can be changed through
the amendment process
• Our Constitution has been amended 27 times
• The process can be difficult, often taking
several years for an amendment to be passed

3. The Amendment Process
To Propose: To ratify:
• 3/4ths of the states vote to
• Amendment is proposed by approve the amendment
2/3rds of both the House &
Senate (only method ever OR
used)
• States call a special convention
OR to ratify (used only once)
• 2/3rds of the states petition • States usually get 7 years to
for a National convention decide on an amendment

4. The Bill of Rights
The 1st 10 Amendments were passed nearly
immediately after the Constitution was
approved. They were a compromise between
the anti-federalists (who refused to support the
Constitution without them) and the Federalists.
These amendments reflect what the framers
felt were the most important rights Americans
should have, and highlighted their fear of a
strong government.

5. 1st Amendment
• Protects our most basic freedoms…
– Speech
– Religion
– Press
– Assembly (the right to gather to protest)
– Petition

6. 2nd Amendment
• 2nd Amendment grants the right to bear arms.
• This is possibly the most controversial of all
the amendments, as the wording is vague and
can be interpreted in many ways.

7. Right to Privacy
• 3rd Amendment – Government cannot force
you to house soldiers in your home
• 4th Amendment – Protection from
unreasonable searches & seizures of property
(This is why search warrants are required)

8. Due Process & Legal Rights
• 5th Amendment – No double jeopardy, cannot be
jailed without cause, do not have to testify
against yourself, government cannot take your
land without paying
• 6th Amendment – Right to a fair and speedy trial
by jury, you can question witnesses
• 7th Amendment – Trial by jury in civil cases
(lawsuits)
• 8th Amendment – Protection from cruel &
unusual punishment

9. Keeping government small
• 9th Amendment – People have many rights
that are not listed in the Constitution, the
government cannot interfere with them
• 10th Amendment – Any power not mentioned
in the Constitution is given to the states

10. Other Important Amendments

11. Civil War Amendments
• All passed in the years following the Civil War in
response to slavery and discrimination
• 13th Amendment – Abolishes slavery
• 14th Amendment – defines citizenship and who is
protected by all the rights of the constitution.
Specifically says that these rights cannot be
denied because of race.
• 15th Amendment – Grants African-Americans the
right to vote

12. Voting Rights Amendments
• 15th (from previous page)
• 19th Amendment – Grants women the right to
vote
• 24th Amendment – Outlaws poll taxes
• 26th Amendment – Lowers the voting age from
21 to 18