Constitutional Amendments
Amendment I
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press,
Petition and Assembly (1791)
 Protects the civil liberties
of Americans
RWE: Freedom to organize a meeting in your
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home to protest a community curfew….
But that doesn’t mean you threaten your government with
armed resistance
Amendment II
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Right to KEEP and BEAR Arms
Often debated over two different meanings:
Founders established right to allow states to
have militias.
 Or, founders may have wanted to protect the
right of individuals
to have weapons.
RWE:
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Amendment III
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Quartering Troops
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Right to privacy in your home
Showed disgust with housing of British troops in
private homes.
RWE– Your family farm is
 NOT Used for military
Maneuvers
No Troops
allowed to
live
HERE!
Amendment IV
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Searches and Seizures
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“Reasonable cause” , deemed so by a judge
Warrant issued upon probable cause
RWE
Were the search and
seizure aspects of the
Patriot Act Constitutional?
Amendment V
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Rights of the Accused
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1. Grand jury must formally charge a person with
committing a crime
2. Person may be tried only once for a crime
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Double Jeopardy
3. May refuse to answer questions on the grounds that the
answers may incriminate the accused

“I plea the Fifth”
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4. Members of the Armed Services are subject to military law
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5. Eminent Domain- Private Property may be taken for public use but
with “Just Compensation”
RWE:
Amendment VI
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You have the
right to a
Speedy Fair
Trial!
Right to a Speedy, Fair Trial
Speedy = not being held in jail for punishment
prior to trial– not in jail waiting for 4 years for the trial
Public Trial– North Korea—citizens are “railroaded to prison”
Fair = Open to the public, and Jury hears
evidence on both sides
Legal counsel must be provided for defendants
 If someone cannot afford a lawyer one will be provided for them.
(Public Defenders) RWE: Explain what part of Miranda
warnings is this ……
Amendment VII
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Civil Suits
Common law, civil cases where a person is
suing another for more than $20 dollars a
jury trial is provided.(or the defendant may
ask for a judge) (Now it is @$1,400)Money is different
RWE: Erin Brokovich – choice of Judge or Jury in a
civil trial -Not just Judge Judy
on a bad day.
Amendment VIII
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Bail and Punishment
Bail nor punishment will be excessive, cruel
or unusual
RWE:
Amendment IX
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Powers reserved to the people
Peoples’ rights are not limited to those
directly stated in the Constitution
You have many other rights NOT listed in
the Constitution– RWE: Such as where to
live, to marry or not, job you choose, etc.
Amendment X
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Powers reserved to the states
Powers not assigned in the Constitution
(Fed) are reserved to the States or the
people.
RWE: States do…
Driver’s License, Marriage License etc.
Amendment XI
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Suits against states
Law suits against states must be tried in
State Courts
“Keep states disputes
out of Federal Court”
RWE #11 Indian Head Rock sits in a city maintenance garage in Portsmouth, Ohio
Amendment XII
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Election of President and Vice President
Both are elected on the same “ticket”
Amendment XIII
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Abolition of Slavery
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Emancipation Proclamation couldn’t free ALL slaves as Property
“Reconstruction Amendments”
RWE: #13
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Several nations in Africa still trade slaves
Question: Are Prisoners who’s labor is
purchased by contractors a form of
slavery?
Amendment XIV (14)

Rights of Citizens
1.
2.
3.
4.

Penalized the Southern States that refused all
citizens the right to vote
Keep confederate leaders out of office
Forbid payment of Confederate debts
Ensured payment of Civil War debts
Citizenship defined

All persons born in the United States, including
former slaves “Equal Protection of the Law”
#14 RWE

Are ALL children born in the United States
naturalized citizens? Yes
Amendment XV

(15) (1868)
Right to Vote

Shall not be refused based on race, color,
servitude, income or intelligence
#15 RWE
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What about women? Could they vote in
the 1800’s? Yes---- in some states.
States like Wyoming with a lot of widower
cattle ranchers allowed women to vote as
early as the 1870’s
Amendment XVI

Federal Income Tax– (first passed by
Abraham Lincoln in the Civil War to pay for
the heavy national war debt)
Amendment XVII

Direct Election of Senators
1.
2.
People of each state voted directly on
representatives
Vacancies were to be filled by the state
governor until a new election
RWE: #17 Before the 17th Amendment…..
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Senators were chosen by the state legislators--This was seen by some as “the good ol’ boy system”
Today, they are elected directly by the people.
Is this a good thing?
Amendment XVIII (18)

Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverages
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Prohibited the consumption, sale or transport of
alcoholic beverages in the U.S.
RWE #18 The Temperance Movement
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This was to lower crime in poverty stricken urban areas
It was also perceived as an attack on urban German,
Italian and Irish Catholics in America.
Cincinnati– German Breweries Closed
What is “On the wagon, or Off the wagon”
It led to…..
More crime- bootlegers
Speakeasies, Al Capone,
Smugglers, etc.
Temperance Movement Wagons
Amendment XIX
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
Women’s Right to Vote (1920) “Suffrage”
Could NOT be prohibited
by the States.
#19 RWE

States like Wyoming already allowed
women the right to Vote
Amendment XX

“Lame Duck”
1.
2.
Shortened time between election of President
and VP and inauguration (Election Nov.Inauguration Jan. 20th instead of March)
New members of Congress elected in Nov. will
hold their first session on Jan. 3rd
#20 Lame Duck- Stops Corruption

What if an elected official (President) lost the election in
November and had all the way until March to stay in
office– There would be NO Reason to do what is best
for the people--- They would be “Self Serving”

They MUST answer to the people!!
Amendment XXI
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Repeal of Prohibition Amendment
Only amendment used to
overturn another
amendment and to be
ratified by state conventions.
#21 But….. The Government collects...

Large Tax Revenues on these “Sin Taxes”
Alcohol
Gambling
Tobacco
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And…. Regulates these industries
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Amendment XXII
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Presidential Term Limits
Only 2 presidential terms can be served
OR…. 10 total Years
The Precedent was set by the first President
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George Washington--- The People wanted him to serve 2 terms but
he wanted to be a citizen first- not a King

FDR– Franklin D. Roosevelt Served 4 terms until he died in 1945
Congress soon passed the 22nd Amendment after this
Amendment XXIII
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People living in Washington, D.C. have the
right to vote in Presidential elections
Still without representation in Congress
#23 Protests in D.C. over representation

Is this Constitutional since D.C. was
Carved out of 2 States in 1790?
Amendment XXIV
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Abolition of the Poll Tax
Originally a tax paid to vote in elections in
Southern states
RWE #24-- Poll Taxes in the South

Many people were poor sharecroppers
Amendment XXV
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Presidential Disability and Succession
Vice President replaces President if he
dies, resigns or is impeached
President appoints a VP if
there is a vacancy and it is
approved by congress.
RWE #25– Nixon Resignation

Gerald Ford was the only President
NEVER ELECTED--- How?
Amendment XXVI
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Voting age 18 years old
From 21
RWE #26 Why?
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In 1970--- A high school senior could be
drafted at age 18, go to Vietnam– serve 2
years of duty--- come home and NOT be
old enough to Vote– Did this make sense?
Amendment XXVII
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Restraint of Congressional Salaries
No congressional salary raises will take
affect until the next session.
#27 RWE
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Don’t you think Congress should be able to
vote themselves a Pay Raise? After all,
they have the power of the purse!