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

2. 1st Amendment (1789) Freedom of religion Freedom of speech
Freedom of assembly
Freedom of the press
Freedom to petition the
government

3. 2nd Amendment (1789)
Right to bear arms (legally own a gun)

4. 3rd Amendment (1789)
No quartering of soldiers without consent (homeowners cannot be forced to house members of the military in times of peace)

5. 4th Amendment (1789)
No illegal search and seizure (the police must have a valid warrant based on probable cause)

6. 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)

7. 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)

8. 7th Amendment (1789)
Right to a trial by jury in civil cases

9. 8th Amendment (1789) No excessive bail No excessive fines
No cruel and unusual punishment

10. 9th Amendment (1789)
Any rights not listed in the Constitution people still have

11. 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

12. 11th Amendment (1794)
States cannot be sued by another state or foreign country or by citizens of other states or by its own residents

13. 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

14. 13th Amendment (1865)
Abolished slavery

15. 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

16. 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”)

17. 16th Amendment (1913)
Creates a national income tax

18. 17th Amendment (1913)
Senators elected by popular vote instead of by state legislatures

19. 18th Amendment (1919)
Prohibited the sale, manufacture or transportation of intoxicating liquors
Later repealed by the 21st Amendment

20. 19th Amendment (1920)
Women’s suffrage (the right to vote cannot be denied based on sex)

21. 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

22. 21st Amendment (1933)
Repeal of the 18th amendment (end of prohibition)

23. 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

24. 23rd Amendment (1961)
Added Presidential electors for Washington, D.C. (3)

25. 24th Amendment (1964)
No Poll Taxes (no one can be denied the right to vote on the basis of wealth)

26. 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

27. 26th Amendment (1971)
Federal voting age reduced from 21 to 18

28. 27th Amendment (1992)
Limit’s Congress’ control over its wages by delaying any increase in pay until after the next regular election