The Bill of Rights

Amendments 1-10

Amendment OneThe Big 5

• Speech• Press• Religion• Assembly• Petition

Amendment Two

• Bear Arms• Have and keep guns

Amendment Three

• Quartering of Soldiers• Citizens do not have

to house soldiers in their homes

Amendment Four

• Rights against unreasonable search and seizure

• Must have probable cause or a warrant to search or take property as evidence.

Amendment FiveProsecution Rights

• Cannot be prosecuted twice for the same crime

• Not required to testify against yourself “Plead the fifth”

• Cannot be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.

Amendment Six

• Speedy Trial• Trial by Jury• To know witnesses

against you• Assistance of a

defense attorney

Amendment Seven

• Trial by Jury in civil cases over $20 (~$500 in 1791)

• Civil case is suing for money due to negligence or wrong-doing

Amendment Eight

• No Excessive Bail• No Cruel and unusual

punishment

Amendment Nine

• Guarantees fundamental rights to people even if they are not specifically stated in the Constitution

Amendment Ten

• All powers not specifically listed in the Constitution are reserved for (given to) the states.

Additional Amendments

Amendments 11-27

Eleventh Amendment

• States cannot be sued by citizens in other states or from other nations

Twelfth Amendment

• Presidential Election Revision

• Fine tuned the Electoral College Process

Thirteenth Amendment

• Abolished Slavery

Fourteenth Amendment

• Equal Protection under the law

• All persons born or naturalized in US are citizens

Fifteenth Amendment

• Right to vote cannot be denied based on race, color or previous condition of servitude

Sixteenth Amendment

• Congress has the power to collect income taxes

Seventeenth Amendment

• Senators are elected by direct popular vote (people)

• Used to be elected by state legislatures

Eighteenth Amendment

• Prohibition• Liquor illegal to drink,

sell, make…etc.

Nineteenth Amendment

• Women receive the right to vote

Twentieth Amendment

• Inauguration moved from March to January 20th

• Officially makes VP Pres if Pres dies or leaves office

Twenty-First Amendment

• Repeal of Prohibition

Twenty-Second Amendment

• Set term limits for President to TWO terms

Twenty-Third Amendment

• Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

• Makes poll taxes (paying to vote) illegal

Twenty-Fifth Amendment

• Sets Presidential Succession

• VP, Speaker…etc.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

• Voting Age lowered to 18

Twenty-Seventh Amendment

• Any pay raise passed by Congress will not take effect until after the next election.