Constitutional
Amendments
Why These 27 Laws Became
More Important Than Others
Constitutional Amendments
What is an AMENDMENT?

A Constitutional Amendment is “a change
to the constitution of a nation or a state”

Amendments can be added via:
RATIFICATION
 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
 REFERENDUM
 SUCCESSIVE MAJORITY

Original Bill of Rights


The original Bill of
Rights had 12
amendments
The two discarded
amendments dealt
with the size of
Congress and with
how much Congress
could be paid
Multiple Issue Amendments
5TH Amendment
(War-Time Trials, Double
Jeopardy, SelfIncrimination, and
Personal Property)
1ST Amendment
(Religion, Speech,
Press, Assembly,
and Grievances)
Legal Protection Amendments
4TH Amendment

Warrantless Searches
6TH Amendment

Trial by Jury
7TH Amendment

Civil Trials
8TH Amendment

Cruel Punishment
11TH Amendment

Sovereign Immunity
Elections & Voting Amendments

Legal protection was of primary concern, but it
is not covered in the most amendments…that
distinction goes to elections and voting, which is
covered in no less than EIGHT amendments
Civil Rights Amendments



13th Amendment
removed the
“3/5ths of a
person” clause
14th Amendment
gave former slaves
more freedom
15th Amendment
“guaranteed” the
right to vote
Prohibition Amendments
“I think this would be
a good time for a
beer” ~ FDR
War Amendments


The individual
argument about
guns and the 2nd
Amendment did not
appear until 1803
The 3rd Amendment
protects private
homeowners AND
those enlisted in
military service
No-Topic Amendments


The 9th Amendment guaranteed rights not mentioned in
the Constitution were still held by the people
The 10th Amendment gave any powers not already
given to the federal government to the states
Federal Income Tax


America passed
legislation
instituting an
income tax in 1894
amid a fanfare that
rivaled a football
victory
Supreme Court
disagreed one year
and overturned it
Amendment Facts



Only one failed amendment has come
back from the dead (27th)
Six current amendments have been
subject to a repeal demand
The total number of failed amendments is
in the 1000s