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Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
From 1791 to 1992
Event Date
Event Description
Note
1791
The first 10 amendments to the
U.S. Constitution, known as the
Bill of Rights, ratified.
The Bill of Rights
describes the
fundamental liberties of
the people and forbids
the government to
violate these rights.
Feb. 7, 1795
Amendment 11 to the U.S.
Constitution, which makes it
impossible for a citizen of one
state to sue another state in
federal court, ratified.
The amendment
modified the Supreme
Court's power.
Jul. 27, 1804
Amendment 12 to the U.S.
Constitution, which provides
how Electoral College votes for
president and vice president,
ratified.
-
Dec. 6, 1865
Amendment 13 to the U.S.
Constitution, which abolished
slavery, ratified.
The adoption of the
13th Amendment
officially ended slavery
in the United States
Jul. 9, 1868
Amendment 14 to the U.S.
Constitution, which made
former slaves citizens of both
the U.S. and the state in which
they lived, ratified.
-
Feb. 3, 1870
Amendment 15 to the U.S.
Constitution, which gives blacks the right to vote, ratified.
Feb. 3, 1913
Amendment 16 to the U.S.
Constitution, which authorized
Congress to levy an income
tax, ratified.
-
Apr. 8, 1913
Amendment 17 to the U.S.
Constitution, which gave the
people, not the state
legislature, the power to elect
senators, ratified.
-
-
Jan. 16, 1919
Amendment 18 to the U.S.
Constitution, prohibiting the
sale of alcoholic beverages,
ratified.
Aug. 18, 1920
Amendment 19 to the U.S.
Constitution, which gave
women the right to vote, was
ratified.
-
Jan. 23, 1933
Amendment 20 to the U.S.
Constitution, which moved the
date that newly elected
presidents and members of
Congress take office, ratified.
-
Dec. 5, 1933
Amendment 21 to the U.S.
Constitution, which repealed
the 18th amendment, ratified.
-
Feb. 27, 1951
Amendment 22 to the U.S.
Constitution, which limits the
president to two terms, ratified.
This amendment
provides that no one
may be elected
president more than
twice. Before the 22nd
Amendment was
approved in 1951, a
president could serve
an unlimited number of
terms. Franklin D.
Roosevelt held office
longest. He was
elected four times and
served from March
1933 until his death in
April 1945.
Mar. 29, 1961
Amendment 23 to the U.S.
Constitution, which allows
citizens of the District of
Columbia to vote in
presidential elections, ratified.
-
Amendment 24 to the U.S.
Constitution, which abolished
poll taxes, ratified.
The 24th Amendment
to the Constitution of
the United States,
banning poll taxes in
federal elections, was
another victory for the
civil rights movement. A
poll tax is a tax levied
equally on all the
Jan. 23, 1964
citizens of a
community. The
amount of the tax is the
same for a poor person
as for a rich one. Laws
in several Southern
States had required
that a citizen pay the
poll tax to vote. The
states had used this
requirement to prevent
poor African Americans
from voting.
Feb. 10, 1967
Amendment 25 to the U.S.
Constitution, which outlined the
Presidential line of succession,
ratified.
Jul. 1, 1971
Amendment 26 to the U.S.
Constitution, which grants the
vote to citizens aged 18 or
older, ratified.
-
May 7, 1992
Amendment 27 to the U.S.
Constitution, which prevents
Congress from passing
immediate salary increases for
itself, ratified.
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