*Bold and underlined = most important to know for the test*

• First Amendment: protects the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

  • Free Exercise Clause: protects the rights of citizens to practice their religion without government interference (as long as their practices do not violate public morals)

  • Establishment Clause: prohibits the government from establishing an official religion = separation of church and state.

• Second Amendment: protects the right to keep and bear arms

• Third Amendment: prohibits the housing of any military service member in private homes without the owner’s consent in times of peace

• Fourth Amendment: protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures by the government

• Fifth Amendment: protects rights of the accused

  • Protection from self-incrimination: the right to remain silent

  • Guarantees the right to a grand jury trial

  • Prohibits double jeopardy

  • Due Process Clause: protects people from the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT depriving them of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

• Sixth Amendment: protects rights of the accused

  • Right to a speedy and public trial

  • Right to an impartial jury from the state and district where the crime took place

• Seventh Amendment: protects the right to a jury trial in civil cases in federal court

• Eight Amendment: protects from cruel and unusual punishment

  • Protects from excessive bail and fines

• Ninth Amendment: rights that are not specifically written belong to the people, the rights of the people are not limited to just the rights that are listed

• Tenth Amendment: powers not specifically given to the federal government are reserved for the states or the people (federalism)

• Eleventh Amendment: limits the ability of individuals to sue states in federal court - suits against states

• Twelfth Amendment: outlines process for electing the President and Vice President

  • The person with the majority of the Electoral College votes becomes President

    • If no majority, the House of Representatives choose

  • The person with the majority of the Electoral college votes becomes Vice President

    • If no majority, the Senate chooses

• Thirteenth Amendment: abolished slavery

• Fourteenth Amendment: granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people

  • Equal Protection Clause: no state can deny equal protection of the law to anyone within its jurisdiction

  • Due Process Clause: No STATE can deprive anyone of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law

• Fifteenth Amendment: granted African American men the right to vote

  • Expansion of political participation

  • prohibits the federal government and states from denying the right to vote based on race, color, and previous condition of servitude

• Sixteenth Amendment: gives Congress the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes without apportionment among the states based on population

• Seventeenth Amendment: the Senate will be composed of two Senators from each state, elected by the people

  • Expansion of political participation

• Eighteenth Amendment: prohibited the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation, and exportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage of purposes

• Nineteenth Amendment: guarantees women the right to vote

  • Expansion of political participation

• Twentieth Amendment: changed the start and end dates for the terms of the President, Vice President, and members of Congress

  • President and Vice President: Terms end and begin on January 20th

  • Congress: terms end and begin on January 3rd

• Twenty-First Amendment: repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, gave states the authority to regulate or prohibit alcohol

• Twenty-Second Amendment: no person can be elected to office of the President more than twice

• Twenty-Third Amendment: gives the District of Columbia the right to participate in presidential elections (grants them electors in the Electoral College

• Twenty-Fourth Amendment: abolished and forbade the federal and state governments from imposing poll taxes or other taxes on voters during federal elections

  • Expansion of political participation

• Twenty-Fifth Amendment: when the President is removed from office or dies or resigns, the Vice President will become the President

• Twenty-Sixth Amendment: lowered voting age to 18 years old

  • Expansion of political participation

• Twenty-Seventh Amendment: changes to the salary of Congress members can only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives has occurred