How can the Constitution change?

02.08 How Can the Constitution Change?

There have been so many changes to the Constitution ever since it was written or established to support the people of the United States. Take a look at the picture on the right. Years later after the Constitution was written.​

​Who Votes?

Americans have gradually extended the right to vote to more groups of people throughout the country's history. Amendments to the U.S. Constitution extended this right. In this lesson, you will learn more about the amendment process. You will see how it affects participation in government. You will use this information to explain your own amendment idea and the process it would follow.

The Declaration of Independence outlines the philosophical reasons for the American colonies' separation Great Britain, stating their ideal and grievances; the Constitution establishes the framework for the US government, defining its powers and structure; and the Bill of Rights, which is the first ten amendments to the Constitution, specifically protects individual citizen rights and liberties against government overreach.

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​The difference between the three founding documents.

​Table of Content for 02.08

1. Can Americans change the Constitution?

2. What is the Process for Amending the Constitution?

3. What are the Civil War Amendments?

4. Why are the Civil War Amendments important?

5. How has the Amendments Expanded the Right to Vote?

6. Did the Amendments have an Impact?

Can Americans change the Constitution?

​Changes to the Constitution are called Amendments

Article V (Five) of the Constitution explains how to amend or make changes to the Constitution.

​Article V explains the amendment process, which is different and more difficult than the process for making laws. When two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House of Representatives vote to change the Constitution, an amendment goes to the state legislatures for a vote. Alternatively, two-thirds of the state legislatures can submit an application to Congress, and then Congress calls a national convention at which states propose amendments. Three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions must vote in favor of an amendment to ratify it.

Can Americans change the Constitution?

​Changes to the Constitution are called Amendments

The Bill of Rights is the name we give to the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The states ratified them as a group within a few years of the Constitution itself. In 1992, the states added the 27th Amendment. That means that in the last 200 or so years, Americans have made only 27 changes to the Constitution!
The answer is yes, Americans can change the Constitution.

1. Proposal - the amendment idea is officially presented for debate

2. Ratification - the amendment idea is passed and becomes part of the Constitution.

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​What is the Process for Amending the Constitution?

​It is a two-step process to amend the Constitution.

The Process for Amending the Constitution

​Article V (Five) of the Constitution describes two main steps to amend the Constitution. The first is "proposal." If two-thirds of Congress votes to propose the amendment idea, that means lawmakers will officially research and debate the idea. They will agree on official wording for the amendment. Congress proposed the first 27 amendments this way, but there is another method for proposal. Two-thirds of state legislatures request a national convention. Then, two-thirds of attendees to that convention can vote for proposal. This method has not been used.

The next step is ratification. The states are the main players in this step. Three-quarters of the states must vote yes to ratify the amendment. Usually, the state legislatures vote on whether to ratify. Only once has three-quarters of special state conventions ratified an amendment, the 21st.

What are the Civil War Amendments?

​There are 27 amendments to the Constitution and three are Civil War Amendments.

The three amendments are the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th Amendments. These amendments were ratified five years after the Civil War. This war is the last war America has seen on its soil (land). This war was a war that put the country against each other over slavery and the power of the government, the North versus the South.

What are the Civil War Amendments?

​Here are the three amendments. These three amendments were the beginning for African Americans to seen as human beings instead of slaves.

Why are the Civil War Amendments Important?

​Think about other countries or nations that have had civil wars on their soil (land).

Radical Republican senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts introduced the Civil Rights Act in 1870 as an amendment to a general amnesty bill for former Confederates. The bill guaranteed all citizens, regardless of color, access to accommodations, theatres, public schools, churches, and cemeteries. Retrieved from https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/CivilRightsAct1875.htm.

Why are the Civil War Amendments Important?

The 13th Amendment made slavery anywhere in the United States against the Constitution. With this amendment, people no longer had to risk their lives to escape slavery. The 14th Amendment defined former slaves as citizens. The 15th Amendment protects the right of citizens to vote no matter their race or skin color. Therefore because of a war that most African American joined willingly to help the Union to win.

How has the Amendments Expanded the Right to Vote?

Since the 15th amendment gave African American males the right to vote. Most white American males did not like the fact the African American males had the right to vote, so they created the poll tax to make people pay to vote. It affected people who were poor. It was not until the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. Then the 24th amendment removed the poll tax and any fees to vote. Finally, the 26th amendment which lower the age from 21 to 18.

Did the Amendments have an Impact?

​What do you think?

The 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments were important to the nation. Without them, last's week election that took placed would not have turned out the way it did. The candidates tried to reach citizens who were not white American males. They even used different issues to attract minority groups to vote for them.

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​Vocabulary for 02.08

1. ​Right

2. Amendments

3. U.S. Constitution

4. Federalism

5. Prohibited

6. Repealed

7. Citizenship

8. Equal Protection Clause

9. Citizens

​ 10. Poll taxes

11. Civil Rights Movement

12. Discrimination

13. Civil disobedience 

14. Civil Rights Act of 1964

15. Voting Rights Act of 1965

16. Literacy tests

17. Civil Rights Act of 1968

18. Primary Sources

19. Data

Match

Match the following

• The amendment process has

• Proposing an amendment requires

• Ratifying an amendment requires

• The first step to amending the Constitution is

• To make an amendment part of the Constitution,

2 main steps: proposal and ratification

a 2/3 vote of Congress or the state

a 3/4 vote of the state legislatures

proposal.

ratification is required by at least 38

• 2 main steps: proposal and ratification

• a 2/3 vote of Congress or the state

• a 3/4 vote of the state legislatures

• proposal.

• ratification is required by at least 38

Match

Match the following

• Because some states still allowed slavery, against natural rights,

• Because many states did not treat former slaves as equal citizens,

• To stop states from preventing former slaves from voting,

• Laws passed during the Civil Rights Movement

• Because of continued discrimination,

the 13th Amendment was ratified.

the 14th Amendment was ratified.

the 15th Amendment was ratified.

extended & strengthened existing amend

Congress passed laws: the Civil Rights

• the 13th Amendment was ratified.

• the 14th Amendment was ratified.

• the 15th Amendment was ratified.

• extended & strengthened existing amend

• Congress passed laws: the Civil Rights