The Constitution and Amendments to the Constitution

What is an amendment?

• A change or addition

• An introduction or statement of purpose

• A formal meeting called for a special purpose

• A belief or judgement of an individual group

How does the Constitution address the concern raised by Thomas Jefferson?

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times." - Thomas Jefferson

• It allows for separation of powers

• It allows for checks and balances

• It allows for amendments to the Constitution

• It allows for limited government

The 17th Amendment was passed during the Progressive Era. The purpose behind it was to

• Give women greater political power

• Give more power to the people & reduce political corruption

• End Jim Crow voting laws

• Create a tax system where the rich would contribute more than the poor

The 18th Amendment, Prohibition, was repealed by the ____ Amendment. This is the only amendment in US history to get rid of an earlier amendment.

• 11th

• 21st

• 27th

• 15th

Which of the following are amendments that expanded voting rights

• 26

• 13

• 19

• 24

• 15

Which of the following amendments help those accused of crimes?

• 2

• 6

• 5

• 12

The ____ amendment is often considered the most important important. It protects freedom of religion, freedom of assembly (meeting), the right to petition, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech

• 1st

• 5th

• 21st

• 18th

The 14th Amendment states:

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

Today, this amendment gives natural born citizenship meaning babies born in the US are automatically citizens. The amendment was originally designed to grant citizenship to

• the children of Irish-Americans

• children born in US territories that had not yet become states

• women who did not yet have the right to vote but needed some legal protection

• recently freed slaves

Reasons for the failure of the 18th amendment included:

• It led to a rise in crime rates

• The Women's Suffrage movement was successful

• It resulted in a decline in tax revenue

• It was hard to enforce

President Lincoln helped make sure this amendment was passed to solve the main problem that had led to the Civil War and to expand his earlier Emancipation Proclamation to apply to the whole country. What is this amendment?

• 10

• 13

• 16

• 19