The Amendments

							The Amendments
 amendment = something that is added to a
  document to make it better

 There are a total of 27 amendments that have
  been added to the U. S. Constitution.
How are amendments added?
1. The amendment must be proposed by 2/3 of
   both houses of Congress.

2. The amendment must be approved by 3/4 of
   state legislatures.
Bill of Rights
 The first 10 amendments are called the Bill of
  Rights.

 The Antifederalists would not approve the
  U. S. Constitution without a Bill of Rights .

 The Bill of Rights protect individual liberties
  (rights or freedoms).
Amendment 1
 It guarantees people five freedoms: speech,
  religion, press, petition and assembly.
Freedom of Speech
 People can speak freely, as long as it doesn’t
  create danger.

 People can express their views.
Free Speech
Free Speech
Freedom of expression
Examples of Free Speech
 Protesting a government policy (law)
 Playing rock and roll guitar music
 Criticizing a government official
Freedom of Assembly
 assembly = get together


 People can meet together and discuss their
  ideas.

 People can get together and protest.
Freedom of Speech and Assembly

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Freedom of Religion
 People can follow the religion that they
  choose.
Freedom of Press
 press = news

 Newspapers and magazines cannot be
  stopped from printing things that the
  government doesn’t like.

 Freedom of Press was included in the Bill of
  Rights because of the important role
  newspapers played in spreading information
  and helping unify the colonies.
Freedom of Petition
 petition = ask


 People can ask the government for things.
Amendment 2
 People have the right to bear arms.


 bear = keep


 arms = guns
Amendment 3
 People do not have to quarter troops in their
  homes.

 Amendment 3 was made in response to the
  Quartering Act.
Amendment 4
 It protects people against illegal search and
  seizure.

 seizure = take away
Amendment 5
 Amendment 5 contains important protections
  for people accused of crimes.
 No person can be charged for the same
  crime twice (double jeopardy).
 Life, liberty and property cannot be taken
  away without due process of law.
 People do not have to be a witness against
  themselves.
Amendment 6
 People have the right to a speedy and fair
  trial by jury in criminal cases.

 right to a lawyer


 It addressed a grievance found in the
  Declaration of Independence.
Trial by Jury
Amendment 7
 People have the right to trial by jury in law
  suits.
Amendment 8

 Protects people against cruel and unusual
  punishment.
Amendments 11 - 27
Amendment 13
 abolished slavery (1865)
Amendment 14
 defines citizenship


 It guarantees all citizens the right to equal
  protection of the law.
Amendment 15
 Prohibits the government from denying a
  person’s right to vote on the basis of race.

 Black men (former slaves) received the right
  to vote.
Amendment 19
 It guarantees women the right to vote (1920).
Which Amendment?
Amendment 8
Amendment 4
  A police officer enters an individual’s home
 without a search warrant, finds and seizes an
 illegal item, and places the individual under
 arrest. At the trial, the individual argues that
 the arrest should be invalidated because the
 individual’s constitutional rights were violated.
Freedom of Speech and Assembly

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Freedom of Speech

“Free speech would not protect a man in
 falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing
 a panic.”

           Schenck v. United States
Freedom of Press
 In 1733 John Peter Zenger began publishing
  a weekly journal that contained articles that
  were critical of New York’s royal governor.
 Zenger was arrested and put in jail for libel.
 During the trial, it was found that Zenger’s
  story was true.
 Zenger was acquitted.
Amendment 8
Freedom of Speech
 A citizen handed out leaflets sharply
 criticizing the governor of Texas. The citizen
 was exercising his constitutional right to


         express his views
Amending the Constitution