The Bill of Rights

• First Amendment protects five freedoms:

Religion

• Religious persecution is one of the reasons the colonists went to America.

• prohibits the US government from establishing an official religion, favoring one or treating people differently because of it.

Speech

• As Americans we can say what is on our minds in public or private without fear of punishment by the government.

• Speech also means art, music and clothing

Press

• May express yourself in print• Assures we are/can be exposed to other views• Government cannot censor films or printed

material because of offensive ideas

Assembly

• People can get together as a group so long as it is peaceful

• Government can make rules of location and time but cannot ban them

Petition

• Right to express your ideas to the government

Limitations to the First Amendment

• Cannot endanger anyone• Cannot infringe on others’ rights• Spreading lies can be considered to be either

slander or libel– Slander- spoken– Libel- printed

Amendments 2-10• II Amendment: – Right to organized militia– Right to “keep and bear arms”

• III Amendment:– Neither an army nor militia can quarter your

home without consent • IV Amendment:– No unreasonable search and seizures– Must have a search warrant; must have

evidence or reasonable doubt to receive one and the warrant comes from a judge.

• V Amendment– Must have indictment or a formal charge by

grand jury in order to be formally arrested– Cannot be tried twice for the same crime after

being found not guilty (double jeopardy)– Cannot be denied life, liberty or property

without a trial (due process)– Government must pay for property it takes; the

right for it to be taken is eminent domain– You have the right not to incriminate yourself

• VI Amendment:– Must be informed of all charges– Trial by jury– Speedy public trial– Accused has the right to hear questions and answers

from witnesses– Trial is to be held in same place as crime– Can call own witnesses to testify in defense– Right to a lawyer; if you cannot afford one, a court

appointed lawyer will take the case

• VII Amendment:– Right to a jury in a civil cases in amount exceeds $20– Can have the case settled by a judge rather than with

a jury (called a bench trial)

• VIII Amendment:– Right to remain free while your case is not being

heard (bail) – Sentencing cannot include cruel and unusual

punishment

• IX Amendment:– Citizens have unwritten rights (example: privacy,

confidentiality, right to choose)

• X Amendment:– Any powers in the Constitution not given to the

national government are reserved to the states

Extending the Bill of Rights

Civil War Amendments• XIII: officially outlawed slavery and forced labor • XIV: enacted because Southern states enacted laws that

restricted Blacks. – grants citizenship to any born or naturalized citizens– Gives equal protection under the law (due process)– States the government cannot deny a person life,

liberty or property without due process • XV: guaranteed voting rights to males and cannot

discriminate against race

Other Amendments• XVII: voters vote for senators directly • XIX: woman’s right to vote (called women’s suffrage) • XXIII: residents in DC can vote for president and vice

president • XXIV: poll taxes are illegal in national and state elections • XXVI: after Vietnam War voting age was reduced from 21

to 18

The Civil Rights Struggle

Post Civil War

• African Americans faced heavy discrimination after the Civil War mostly through segregation

• 1909: NAACP formed- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People—work to challenge laws and customs that denied African Americans their constitutional rights

• 1910: National Urban League forms to help A.A to find jobs and opportunities

Civil Rights Movement

• 1954: Brown vs. Board of Education—NAACP lawyers argue racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional under 14thAmendment

• 1950’s: Dr. MLK Jr. encouraged peaceful protests, led boycotts and demonstrations

• African Am. Students staged ‘sit-in’s’ at lunch counters that served only whites. The first one was held in Greensboro, NC at Woolworths

• Montgomery bus boycott—Rosa Parks• 1963- MLK Jr. “I Have a Dream” inspired many to fight for

racial equality. Some whites opposed with violence.

Civil Rights Movement continued

• 1964- Civil Rights Act—prohibits discrimination in public facilities, employment, education, voter registration by race, color, gender, religion, national origin

• 1970s—federal government begins affirmative action to encourage hiring/promoting minorities and women in work place and to admit to colleges

• The struggle for equal rights still continues mostly because of problems with racial profiling and hate crimes.