The 27 Amendments to the United States Constitution

American Government Study Guide

The Founding Era Amendments: 1791 - 1804

Gave us our first 12 Amendments, including the Bill of Rights!

1st Amendment [Individual Rights]

Protects individuals from government interference in expressing ideas, practicing religion, gathering peacefully, publishing information, and petitioning for change.

2nd Amendment [Individual Rights]

Affirms that citizens have the right to own and carry firearms, connected historically to the idea of maintaining a well-regulated militia for the protection of a free state.

3rd Amendment [Individual Rights]

Prohibits the government from forcing citizens to house soldiers in their homes without the owner’s consent, especially in times of peace.

4th Amendment [Individual Rights]

Protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures, requiring warrants to be issued only with probable cause and judicial approval.

5th Amendment [Individual Rights]

Protects individuals by ensuring fair legal procedures, preventing being tried twice for the same crime, guarding against forced self-incrimination, requiring grand jury indictments for serious offenses, and regulating government seizure of private property.

6th Amendment [Individual Rights]

Guarantees the rights of criminal defendants to a fair and timely trial, including representation by an attorney, an impartial jury, and the ability to confront witnesses and know the charges against them.

7th Amendment [Individual Rights]

Guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases involving significant monetary disputes, and it limits courts from overturning a jury’s factual findings

8th Amendment [Individual Rights]

Prohibits excessive bail or fines and bans cruel and unusual punishment in the justice system.

9th Amendment [Individual Rights]

States that rights not specifically listed in the Constitution are still retained by the people, preventing the government from denying or disparaging them.

10th Amendment [Individual Rights]

Declares that any powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or the people.

11th Amendment [Courts]

Restricts the ability of individuals to sue states in federal court, reinforcing the principle of state sovereignty.

Reconstruction Era Amendments: 1865 - 1870
(There was a 60 + year gap between the Founding & Reconstruction eras)

Gave us three transformational amendments that may Constitutional scholars cite as representing our nation’s “Second Founding.”

12th Amendment [POTUS]

Revised the process of electing the President and Vice President, requiring electors to cast separate ballots for each office and establishing procedures if no candidate wins a majority.

13th Amendment [Civil War]

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime

14th Amendment [Civil War]

Defines citizenship (including for formerly enslaved people), guarantees equal protection under the law, and requires states to provide due process before depriving anyone of life, liberty, or property.

15th Amendment [Civil War]

Guarantees that the right to vote cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The Progressive Era: 1913 - 1920

(There was a 40 + year gap between the Reconstruction & Progressive Eras)

Gave us the 16-19th Amendments

16th Amendment [Taxes]

Gives Congress the power to collect income taxes directly from individuals and businesses, without needing to apportion taxes among the states based on population.

17th Amendment [Voting]

Established the direct election of U.S. Senators by the people, rather than by state legislatures, and allowed governors to make temporary appointments if vacancies occur.

18th Amendment [Alcohol]

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

19th Amendment [Voting]

Guarantees that the right to vote cannot be denied based on sex, securing voting rights for women.

Modern Era: 1933 - 1992

(It has been over 30 years since the last amendment!)

20th Amendment [POTUS]

Shortens the lame duck period by moving the presidential inauguration to January 20 and the start of Congress to January 3, while also clarifying succession if the president-elect cannot serve.

21st Amendment [Alcohol]

Repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, ending national Prohibition and giving states the authority to regulate alcohol within their borders

22nd Amendment [POTUS]

Limits the President of the United States to two elected terms (a maximum of eight years in office).

23rd Amendment [Voting]

Grants residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections, giving the District electoral votes as if it were a state (but no more than the least populous state).

24th Amendment [Voting]

Prohibits the use of a poll tax (or any tax) as a requirement for voting in federal elections.

25th Amendment [POTUS]

Clarifies the line of succession for the presidency, allows the Vice President to assume office if the President dies, resigns, or is removed, and establishes procedures for handling presidential disability or incapacity.

26th Amendment [Voting]

Lowered the voting age to 18, ensuring that citizens 18 and older cannot be denied the right to vote based on age.

27th Amendment [Taxes]

Prevents any law changing the pay of Congress members from taking effect until after the next election of Representatives.