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THE AMENDMENTS
AMENDMENT I - Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly and Petition.
Explanation: Congress should make no law to keep people from following their religion and
worshiping as they choose, or keep people from saying what they want or printing what they
think, or from meeting peacefully and from asking the government to help when they have not
been treated fairly.
AMENDMENT II - The Right to Bear Arms.
Explanation: The federal government cannot take away the right of the people to have guns.
AMENDMENT III - The Housing of Soldiers.
Explanation: People cannot be forced to have soldiers eat and sleep in their homes in peaceful
time. In order for soldiers to stay in civilian homes during war, Congress must pass a special law.
AMENDMENT IV - Search and Arrest.
Explanation: People in their houses, papers, and property shall be safe from search. No court
shall give a paper or warrant, to search a person or that person’s property except for good reason.
Those who want such a search warrant must swear they mean to do right.
AMENDMENT V - The Rights of Accused Persons.
Explanation: Nobody has to go to court for a crime that would mean death or jail unless that
person is accused by a grand jury. (This will not hold true for people in the military in times of
danger to the nation). No person can be tried twice for the same crime. No one accused of a
crime can be forced to speak against himself or herself. The Constitution guarantees “Due
Process” or fairness.
AMMENDMENT VI - The Right to a Fair Trial.
Explanation: People accused of a crime shall have a prompt, open trial, have a lawyer to defend
them, and should not be held in jail a long time before they get their trial. They shall have a fair
jury from the state and district where the crime was done.
AMENDMENT VII - Civil Cases.
Explanation: In any case about money, the people up for trial may ask for a jury if the amount is
over $20.00. If a jury has ruled on anything, no one can change the ruling unless there is a new
trial, new jury or there was a mistake in law made and another court takes the case.
AMENDMENT VIII - Bail and Punishment.
Explanation: People who are to come up for trial shall not have to put up higher bail money than
is sensible for the wrong. Courts shall not ask fines that are out of line with the wrong done.
Courts shall not call for cruel and strange punishment.
AMENDMENT IX- Other Rights
Explanation: The constitution gives you certain rights. It cannot list all your rights. If a right is
not listed in the Constitution, that does not mean you do not have it.
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AMENDMENT X - Rights of States.
Explanation: All powers not given to the United States by the Constitution belong to the state or
the people.
AMENDMENT XI - Cases Against States.
Explanation: If a person from another state or nation thinks he or she has something against a
state, he or she cannot get the case into a United States court, without the permission of the state.
AMENDMENT XII - Election of the President and Vice-President.
Explanation: The electors shall meet in their own states. They shall make a list of all the people
they have voted for as President and Vice- President. (One of these two people shall not be from
their own state). The persons having the most votes shall be President and Vice-President. If no
one has more than half the votes, the Senate votes for one of the two highest on the list.
AMENDMENT XIII- Slavery
Explanation: People shall not be slaves or have to work for another if they do not want to in any
United States land, unless the court punishes them for a crime by making them do work.
AMENDMENT XIV- Rights of Citizens
Explanation: All persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the state wherein
they reside. No state shall make or follow a law that keeps people from getting their rights as
United States citizens. Congress shall have power to pass laws that will make this amendment
work.
AMMENDMENT XV- Right to Vote, No Matter the Race or color.
Explanation: No state may keep United States citizens from voting because of their race, their
color, or because they were once slaves.
AMENDMENT XVI- Income Tax
Explanation: Congress may call for income taxes from all people without trying to get a certain
amount from each state.
AMENDMENT XVII - Election of Senators.
Explanation: The senate shall be made up of two senators from each state. The people shall elect
them to 6-year terms. Each senator shall have one vote. If a senator dies or quits, the governor
shall call for a special election to elect someone to that office.
AMENDMENT XVIII- Prohibition of Liquor
Explanation: Nobody shall make, sell, or carry liquor that makes a person drunk. Nobody shall
send it into the nation. Nobody shall send it out.
AMENDMENT XIX - Woman Suffrage.
Explanation: No state may keep a citizen from voting because she is a woman.
AMENDMENT XX - New Dates (Lame Duck Amendment).
Explanation: The President’s and Vice-President’s terms shall end at noon, January 20. Senators’
and representatives’ terms shall end at noon, January 3. The new officers’ terms begin then.
AMENDMENT XXI - Repeal of the 18th Amendment.
Explanation: The Eighteenth Amendment on prohibition is no longer a law of the United Sates.
No one shall break the state liquor laws, though.
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AMENDMENT XXII - Terms of the Presidency.
Explanation: Nobody may be elected President more than twice. Nobody who has been President
or has acted as President for more than 2 years of somebody else’s term shall be elected more
than once. (This means no one can serve as President for more than 10 years).
AMENDMENT XXIII- Voting in the District of Colombia.
Explanation: The “District where the United States government is (Washington, D.C.)” shall
appoint the number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the number of senators
and representatives the District would get if it were a state. The District may not have more
electors that the smallest state.
AMENDMENT XXIV- Poll Taxes.
Explanation: No state may keep United States citizens from voting in any primary or general
election for President, Vice President, electors for President or Vice-President, or for senator or
representative in Congress because they have not paid poll taxes or other taxes.
AMENDMENT XXV - Presidential Succession.
Explanation: If the President is removed from office, or dies or resigns, the Vice- President shall
become President. If there is no Vice-President for any reason, the President shall nominate one.
If more than half of the Senate and the House of Representatives vote in favor, that person shall
become Vice-President.
AMENDMENT XXVI - Voting Age of 18.
Explanation: Any person who will be 18 years of age by election day should be allowed to
register and vote in all elections-national, state, and local.
AMENDMENT XXVII - Congressional Salaries.
Explanation: This amendment prevents Congress from passing immediate salary increases for
itself. It requires that salary changes passed by Congress cannot take effect until after the next
congressional election.
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Amendment Cartoons
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
Amendment
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Amendment Cartoons Answer Key
4th Amendment
2nd Amendment
19th Amendment
16th Amendment
1st Amendment