1. The History of the U.S. -
Through its
Constitutional
Amendments

2. Article V of the Constitution provides for making changes, or
amendments to the document.
Article V. The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

3. And almost before it began, the first ten amendments were added - a
"Bill of Rights" insisted upon by
many of the states before they would
ratify.

4. Several of the amendments in the Bill of Rights were a reflection of the recent experience of the colonists who had been denied a voice when various acts and laws were passed by Britain.

5. Several of the amendments in the Bill of Rights were a reflection of the recent experience of the colonists who had been denied a voice when various acts and laws were passed by Britain.
For example:
#3 was a reaction to the Quartering
Act enacted by the British
#4 came as a result of the “general
searches” done by the British in hopes
of finding evidence of crimes so they
could press criminal charges
#5 & #6 specified rights not extended
to colonists during British rule, some
of whom were charged and taken to
Britain for trial, extending time and not
providing for due process

6. Originally, the procedure in Presidential
election was to award the presidency to
the highest vote-getter and the vice-
presidency to the second highest. This
did not work well in the election of 1796,
where opposing candidates from different
political parties became the President
(John Adams) and Vice-President
(Thomas Jefferson).
Amendment XII required the electors to
Cast separate votes for President and
Vice-President.

7. Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV are known as the Civil War Amendments
Amendment XV
Guaranteed the
right to vote to all
US citizens regardless
of race, color, or
past service as a slave
Amendment XIII
Abolished slavery
Throughout the
United States
Amendment XIV
Defined citizenship, giving African-Americans
equal rights and guaranteeing those rights.
This overturned the controversial Dred Scott
Decision of 1856, and made “Black Codes” illegal.

8. Amendment XVIII – Prohibition
In response to the national
pressure of the temperance
movement.

9. Amendment XVIII – Prohibition
In response to the national
pressure of the temperance
movement.
But by 1933, the country had enough
of bootlegging, rum running, moon-
shine, speakeasies – and the Great
Depression – and Prohibition was
repealed with Amendment XXI.

10. Only 144 years after declaring Independence, women received
The Suffragette Movement
finally got the attention of
lawmakers as they ratified
Amendment XIX in 1920.
Only 144 years after declaring
Independence, women received
The right to vote!

11. Amendment XXII – Limited the President to 2 terms (or 10
Years). Passed after Franklin Roosevelt had served 3 full
terms and had begun a 4th.
Amendment XXIV – Outlawed poll taxes in federal elections
Taxes required for voting clearly discriminated
against the poor, and especially African Americans
in the South. The Civil Rights Movement of the
1950’s & early 1960’s were clearly an influence.
Amendment XXV – Clarified the procedure for filling
Vacancies in the office of the President or Vice-President.
The timing (1967) coincided with the aftermath of the
Kennedy assassination and the questions that arose if
the President were incapacitated or if both the President
and Vice-President were to be unable to serve.

12. Amendment XXVI – Lowered the voting age from
21 to 18. After several years of the Viet Nam
Conflict, and anti-war protests, lawmakers finally
took seriously those who proclaimed, “If they
are old enough to fight and die for their country,
they should be old enough to vote!”

13. The Constitution has only been amended 27 times in over 200
years. Each time, events of US
history put the wheels of amending
in motion.