The 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870. Ratified means that it was made official. This amendment protects citizens from being denied the right to vote based on race, or former slave status. Before this amendment, African Americans and/or former slaves were not allowed to vote. This amendment clearly stated that all men over the age of 21 would be able to vote. The 15th amendment was accepted after slavery was outlawed. Unfortunately, even after the amendment, African Americans would still face obstacles in order to vote. They were required to pay poll taxes and take literacy tests.

The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. This amendment granted women the right to vote. Before this amendment, women were not able to vote in certain types of elections. This amendment guaranteed that women had the same rights as men to vote. Women had been working towards the right to vote for nearly 100 years. This amendment is often referred to as the Women’s Suffrage amendment.

The 23rd Amendment was ratified in 1961. This amendment granted the citizens of Washington D.C. the right to vote in Federal elections, such as for the U.S. President. Through this amendment, the citizens gained representation in the electoral college. This means that citizens of Washington D.C. now had a voice in the federal government.

The 24th Amendment was ratified in 1964. This amendment made poll taxes illegal. A poll tax is a tax that is required before someone can place their vote. Before this amendment, some people were not able to vote due to the cost of the tax. This amendment allowed everyone, regardless of their money, to be able to cast a vote.

The 26th Amendment was ratified in1971. This amendment changed the voting age. It lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Before this amendment, soldiers in Vietnam were drafted to fight, but they could not vote. Many citizens and soldiers thought that was unfair. The 26th Amendment gave the right to vote to any American who was 18 years or older.

Bill of Rights- The Judicial Branch of the United States interprets laws and administers justice. The main document that protects the citizens of the United States is the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution forms a basic legal system, and it protects citizens. The Constitution has many amendments that protect the rights and responsibilities of the citizens. The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights lists out the most important Rights to the citizens that are protected by the Constitution. The Bill of Rights list went into effect in 1791. James Madison drafted the Bill of Rights. He wanted to make sure that basic rights of the citizens are protected. The Bill of Rights protects many aspects of life in America. The Bill of Rights protects citizens from abuse by the government. The ten amendments in the Bill of Rights each clearly state which rights are protected. For example, citizens have the right to worship freely and speak freely. This right is protected by the Bill of Rights. Citizens are also protected by the due process of law.

Due process. One of the main components of the U.S. Constitution is the due process of law. This means that a citizen of the United States who is accused of a crime still has rights. The citizen accused is still entitled to a legal process that is fair. It also means that a citizen is innocent until proven guilty by a court. Even when someone is sentenced in a court, they still have rights. They have the right to fair and just punishment. This means that the punishment must match the crime. This helps protect the rights of citizens and prevent corruption. It also ensures that everyone is treated fairly.

Citizen’s Rights. A citizen is a person who is entitled to enjoy all the legal rights and privileges protected under the government. In the United States, a citizen is protected to some extent, under the United States Constitution. Citizenship offers many benefits. All citizens in the United States have rights. In the United States, we have many rights that are protected under the U.S. Constitution. A right is a freedom that is protected. Some examples of rights in the United States are freedom of speech , freedom of religion, and the ability to vote. Another right of the U.S. citizens is the right to political process. This means citizens have the right to a fair and speedy legal trial. Above all rights, “We have the right to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

A list of rights include: Freedom of expression, run for elected office, a fair and timely jury, freedom of religion, pursue life, liberty, and happiness, freedom to vote

Citizen responsibilities: A responsibility is a duty, or something that you should do, to help society. Some of the most important responsibilities of a citizen are related to the legal system and government. It is the responsibility of a citizen to obey all laws. It is also the responsibility of a citizen to participate in jury duty when requested. A jury is a group of citizens that make a decision about the outcome of a legal trial. Another large responsibility of a citizen is to pay taxes on time. Taxes are money used to maintain an orderly society for the benefit of all citizens. Taxes pay for things such as schools, hospitals, roads, firemen, and police officers. It is the responsibility of all citizens to participate in military services, if called upon. Military services include enlisting in any branch of the military either voluntary or involuntary.

A list of responsibilities include; Support and defend the U.S. Constitution, Stay informed of issues that affect your community, participate in democratic process, participate in local community, obey all laws, serve on a jury, respect the rights of others, pay taxes

Purpose of Amendments- The U.S. Constitution was not considered to be perfect when it was finally approved by the states. To help the document get approved, the original creators added a section that allowed for changes. These changes of the Constitution are called amendments. With this section, the states were able to finally approve the document in 1787. The states were hesitant to approve the U.S. Constitution without a section that made it possible to change the document at a later date. The amendment process is outlined in Article V of the Constitution. The creators of the document made it difficult for the Constitution to get amended. They believed that the basic foundation of the Constitution should stay the same. They did, however, understand the need for changes of the Constitution in the future. The document has been changed many times over the history of the country. It has been amended 27 times since it was first drafted. There have been amendments banning slavery, banning alcohol, and even changing voting requirements. For example, an amendment made in 1920 allowed women to vote. The country has evolved since the document was originally created. The U.S. Constitution should have the option to be changed in the future because the country could face new, unforeseen problems.

Process of amendments: There is a process to change, or amend, the original document. The creators laid out a clear process to add amendments in Article V (5) of the Constitution. The process of changing the Constitution is simple. There are two options to amend the Constitution. The first option requires approval by both sides of the government. The House of Representatives and the Senate must both vote on what is being changed. Two thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate vote to change the Constitution. The second option is through a Constitutional Convention. A convention is a meeting. The convention must be called by two thirds of the states’ legislatures. After the convention, the states must vote to approve the amendment. Three fourths of the states must vote to pass the amendment. The second option has never been used.

Approval by the House + Approval by the Senate = Amendment

Constitutional Convention + 2/3 of States Vote = Amendment