Constitutional Amendments (Yup, you’ve gotta know them all!)

1st Amendment (1789) Freedom of religion Freedom of speech Freedom of assembly Freedom of the press Freedom to petition the government

2nd Amendment (1789) Right to bear arms (legally own a gun)

3rd Amendment (1789) No quartering of soldiers without consent (homeowners cannot be forced to house members of the military in times of peace)

4th Amendment (1789) No illegal search and seizure (the police must have a valid warrant based on probable cause)

5th Amendment (1789) Right to a grand jury No double jeopardy No self-incrimination Can’t be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process Eminent domain (private property can’t be taken by the government without proper compensation)

6th Amendment (1789) Right to a speedy and public trial by jury Accused must be informed of charges Have the right to cross examine witnesses who may testify against you Right to question favorable witnesses Right to counsel (lawyer)

7th Amendment (1789) Right to a trial by jury in civil cases

8th Amendment (1789) No excessive bail No excessive fines No cruel and unusual punishment

9th Amendment (1789) Any rights not listed in the Constitution people still have

10th Amendment (1789) All of the powers the Constitution doesn’t give to the National Government and doesn’t forbid the states to have are given to the states

11th Amendment (1794) States cannot be sued by another state or foreign country or by citizens of other states or by its own residents

12th Amendment (1803) Election of the President and Vice-President Each elector in the Electoral College casts two ballots (one for President and one for Vice-President) Before, the person with the 2nd highest number of votes was elected Vice-President

13th Amendment (1865) Abolished slavery

14th Amendment (1868) Defines citizenship as all persons who are born or naturalized in the U.S. and the states which they live (effectively made African American U.S. citizens) No state can deprive a U.S. citizen of life, liberty, or property without due process of law No state can deny a person equal protection of the law

15th Amendment (1870) Gave black men the right to vote (the right to vote can’t be denied on account of race, color, or “previous condition of servitude”)

16th Amendment (1913) Creates a national income tax

17th Amendment (1913) Senators elected by popular vote instead of by state legislatures

18th Amendment (1919) Prohibited the sale, manufacture or transportation of intoxicating liquors Later repealed by the 21st Amendment

19th Amendment (1920) Women’s suffrage (the right to vote cannot be denied based on sex)

20th Amendment (1933) Lame Duck Amendment (shortens the time period between when a president is elected and when he takes the oath of office) Date of Inauguration moved from March to January

21st Amendment (1933) Repeal of the 18th amendment (end of prohibition)

22nd Amendment (1951) Two term limit for President If the President has succeeded to the Presidency in the last half of the previous presidents, maximum term limit is 10 years

23rd Amendment (1961) Added Presidential electors for Washington, D.C. (3)

24th Amendment (1964) No Poll Taxes (no one can be denied the right to vote on the basis of wealth)

25th Amendment (1967) Provision for Presidential succession Provided for the replacement of the Vice-President when there is a vacancy (President nominates, subject to majority vote of both Houses of Congress) President can make written declaration to Senate pro temp and Speak of the House that he is incapacitated, and will be temporarily relieved by Vice-President until he delivers a rescission letter

26th Amendment (1971) Federal voting age reduced from 21 to 18

27th Amendment (1992) Limit’s Congress’ control over its wages by delaying any increase in pay until after the next regular election