Amendments

1st Amendment

Guarantees the right to the freedoms of speech, press, and religion. Protects the right to petition the government.

2nd Amendment

Guarantees the people’s right to own and bear arms for their defense.

3rd Amendment

Citizens cannot be forced to quarter soldiers during times of peace.

4th Amendment

Citizens cannot be forced to subject themselves to seizure and search without a search warrant and probable cause.

5th Amendment

Prohibits abuse of governmental authority in legal procedures. Establishes rules for indictment by eminent domain and grand jury. Guarantees the due process rights. Protects citizens from self-incrimination and double jeopardy.

6th Amendment

Guarantees fair and speedy jury trial and the rights to know the accusation, the accuser, and to find counsel and witnesses.

7th Amendment

Reserves individuals’ rights to jury trial depending on the civil case, and cases already examined by not re-opened by another court

8th Amendment

Forbids excessive bails and fines and punishment that is unusual or cruel.

9th Amendment

Reserves the rights of citizens which are not specifically mentioned by the U.S. Constitution.

10th Amendment

Reserves powers that are not given to the U.S. government under the Constitution, nor prohibited to a State of the U.S., to the people and the States.

11th Amendment

State sovereign immunity. States are protected from suits by citizens living in another state or foreigners that do not reside within the state borders.

12th Amendment

Modifies and clarifies the procedures for electing vice-presidents and presidents.

13th Amendment

Except as punishment for criminal offense, forbids forced-slavery and involuntary servitude.

14th Amendment

Details Equal Protection Clause, Due Process Clause, Citizenship Clause, and clauses dealing with the Confederacy and its officials.

15th Amendment

Reserves citizens the suffrage rights regardless of their race, color, or previous slave status.

16th Amendment

Reserves the U.S. government the right to tax income.

17th Amendment

Establishes popular voting as the process under which senators are elected.

18th Amendment

Denies the sale and consumption of alcohol.

19th Amendment

Reserves women’s suffrage rights.

20th Amendment

also known as the “lame duck amendment,” establishes date of term starts for Congress(January 3rd) and the President(January 20).

21th Amendment

Details the repeal of the 18th Amendment. State laws over alcohol are to remain.

22nd Amendment

Limits the terms that an individual can elected as president (at most 2 terms”. Individuals who have served over 2 years of someone else’s term may not be elected more than once.

23rd Amendment

Reserves the right of citizens residing in the District of Columbia to vote for their own Electors for presidential elections.

24th Amendment

citizens cannot be denied the suffrage rights for not paying a poll tax or any other taxes.

25th Amendment

establishes the procedures for a successor of a President

26th Amendment

Reserves the right for citizens 18 and older to vote

27th Amendment

Denies any laws that vary the salaries of Congress members until the beginning of the next terms of office for Representatives.