AMENDMENT PROCESS. AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION The Framers of the Constitution knew that that our country would change over time. They knew that there had.

AMENDMENT PR

OCESS

AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION

The Framers of the Constitution knew that that our country would change over time. They knew that there had to be a way to amend or change the Constitution as time went on. They purposely made the process difficult so that any changes made would be “good” changes.

Amending the constitution is a two step process:

1. A change must be proposed and voted on by 2/3 of both houses of Congress

2. The amendment must then be ratified by 3/4 of the states within a certain time frame.

2

THE FIRST TEN AMENDMENTS ARE CALLED THE BILL OF RIGHTS

3

BILL OF RIGHTS

4

The Bill of Rights was passed to meet the demands of the Anti-Federalists

FREEDOMS GRANTED IN THE CONSTITUTION WERE NOT ALWAYS PROTECTED!We know that the rights of women and minorities were not

always protected in our Constitution. Thankfully the Framers left a way to amend the constitution to right these wrongs. Sadly, our country has sometimes been slow to recognize these rights.

5

AMENDMENTS 13 ,14 , 15, 19, 24

The above amendments extend the rights of American citizenship to minorities and women giving them power to participate fully in the political process.

13 Amendment - ABOLISH SLAVERY - 1865

6

14TH AMENDMENT 1868

14TH AMENDMENT - GRANTED CITIZENSHIP TO “ALL PERSONS “ BORN OR NATURALIZED IN THE United States including former slaves.

In addition it forbids states from denying any person “ life , liberty, or property, without due process of law”. It also prevents any state from denying any person equal protection of the laws.

7

15TH AMENDMENT 1870

15th Amendment - African American Men granted the RIGHT to VOTE

8

15th AMENDMENT-1870

19TH AMENDMENT - 1920

19th Amendment -Women’s Suffrage

9

24TH AMENDMENT – NO POLL TAXES -196424TH Amendment - No poll taxes which were a devious way of

restricting voter rights

10

26 TH AMENDMENT – 18 YEARS OLD TO VOTE - 26 TH AMENDMENT –Lowers the right to vote to

18.

11

12

13

14