The Bill of Rights

First Amendment Civil Liberties-Freedoms we have to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair treatment. -Freedom of Religion Intolerance of different beliefs forced people to come to America. Prohibits Congress from establishing an official religion in the United States. Allows Americans to practice their as they wish.

-Freedom of Speech Allows us to say what is on our minds, in public or private, without fear of punishment. Speech can mean Internet communications, art, music or even clothing. -Freedom of the Press Allows Americans to express themselves in print as well as speech. Censorship-the banning of printed materials or films due to alarming or offensive ideas.

-Freedom of Assembly Protects our rights to gather in groups for any reason, so long as the assemblies are peaceful. Government can make rules about when or where a gathering takes place, but cannot ban them. Protects our rights to form and join social clubs, political parties, labor unions and other organizations. -Freedom to Petition Petition-formal request

Guarantees Americans the right to petition the government. You may express our ideas in letters or and if enough people express similar views, government leaders may take action. Limits to First Amendment The Supreme Court has decided that public interests, such as safety and security of Americans, my justify limitations of the First Amendment.

-Freedom of speech does not include the right to endanger our government or American citizens. You do not have the freedom to provoke a riot. You do not have the right to forth efforts to overthrow the government. You may talk to a friend in the street, but not block traffic. You may campaign, but not disturb neighbors with a loudspeaker.

You may criticize government officials, but not spread lies to harm their reputation. -slander-spoken untruths that are harmful to someone’s reputation. -libel-written untruths that are harmful to someone’s reputation. -The rights of a community come before individual rights.

2 nd Amendment gives the right to maintain a well regulated Militia (National Guard), being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. 3 rd Amendment states no soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

4 th Amendment -No soldier, government agent, or police officer can search your home or take your property without good cause. -Search Warrant-A court order allowing law enforcement officer to search a suspect’s home or business and take specific items as evidence. 5 th Amendment -Protects the rights of the accused.

Indictment-a formal charge by a grand jury Grand Jury-a group of citizens that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to accuse someone of a crime. Double Jeopardy-putting someone on trial for a crime in which they were previously acquitted of. Due Process-Following established legal procedures Eminent Domain-the right of the government to take private property for public use.

-Grant additional due process rights to people accused of crimes. States the accused must be told the exact nature of the charges against them. Guarantees the accused a trial by jury States jury trials must be speedy and public and jurors must be impartial The accused has the right to hear and question all witnesses against them The accused is permitted to call witnesses in their defense Entitles the accused to a lawyer.

7 th Amendment Common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States than according to the rules of common law. 8 th Amendment -In case of a lengthy trial, the accused may stay in jail or remain free by paying a bail. Bail-Sum of money used as a security deposit.

-Forbids excessive bail or an amount that is too high -Forbids “cruel and unusual punishment” 9 th Amendment -The enumeration in the Constitution, or certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. -This prevents the government from claiming that the only rights people have are those listed in the bill of rights.

10 th Amendment -The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. -This is the powers of the state. This protects the states and people from the all powerful government. -It established the powers not given to the government belong to the state.

11 th Amendment -Limits jurisdictions of the federal courts. The Supreme Court had ruled that federal court could try a lawsuit brought by a citizen of a state against a citizen of another state. 12 th Amendment -Procedures for electing the President and Vice President of the United States.

13 th Amendment -Outlawed Slavery freeing all former slaves in the South. 14 th Amendment - “Black Codes”-kept African Americans from holding certain jobs, limited their property rights, and other restrictions. -Defined an American citizen as anyone born or naturalized in the United States

15 th Amendment -Says that no state may take away a person’s voting rights on the basis of race, color, or previous enslavement -suffrage-The right to vote 16 th Amendment -The power to lay and collect taxes on incomes. 17 th Amendment -Allows voters to select their senators directly

18 th Amendment -Prohibition-prohibits the sales, production, or transportations of alcoholic beverages in the United States. 19 th Amendment -Protects the rights of women to vote in all national and state elections. 20 th Amendment -beginning and ending of the terms of the President and Vice President from March 4 to January 20, and of members of Congress from March 4 to January 3

21 st Amendment -Repels the 18 th amendment (prohibition), this is the only amendment that has ever overturned another amendment. 22 nd Amendment -Term limits on the President of the United States to 2 terms 23 rd Amendment -Granted citizens of the District of Columbia the right to vote

24 th Amendment -made poll taxes illegal in National elections -Poll Taxes-a sum of money required of voters before they are permitted to cast a ballot 25 th Amendment -The is the process of how the vice-president over leadership of the country 26 th Amendment -Granted the right to vote to citizens 18 and older

27 th Amendment -Congressional Pay raises Civil Rights Discrimination-unfair treatment based on Prejudice against a certain group “Jim Crow”-laws-require African Americans and whites to be separated in most public places. Segregation-the Social separation of the races NAACP-National Association for the Advancement of Colored People-worked to challenge laws and customs that denied African Americans equality under the law.

The Urban League-Aide African Americans in finding jobs and improving their opportunities in society President Harry Truman ordered an end to segregation in the nation’s armed forces in Brown vs. Board of Education-1954 –NAACP lawyers argued that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr., a Baptist minster, believed in non violent resistance and used peaceful protest to expose unfair laws.

Civil Rights Act 1964 Prohibited discrimination in public facilities, employment, education, and voters registration, not just by race, but by gender as well. Affirmative Action-Encouraged the hiring and promoting of minorities and women in fields that were traditionally closed to them. Gratz vs. Bollinger The Supreme Court denied the University of Michigan point based admissions policy, stating it gave excessive points to minority applicants.

Racial Profiling- being singled out as suspects because of the way they look.