Know Your Amendments Revisited

Brief synopsis of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution:

1st – Protects freedom of religion, speech and the press and provides the right to assemble and petition the government.

2nd – Protects the right to keep and bear arms.

3rd – Prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers.

4th – Prohibits unreasonable search and seizures and sets requirements for search warrants based on probable cause.

5th – Sets the rules for endictment by a grand jury, eminent domain, protects the right to due process and prohibits self incrimination and double jeapordy.

6th – Protects the right to a fair and speedy trial by jury and the right to be notified of accusations.

7th – Provides the right to trial by jury in certain civil cases according to common law.

8th – Prohibits excessive fines and excessive bail as well as cruel and unusual punishment.

9th – Asserts the existence of unenumerated rights retained by the people.

10th – Limits the powers of the federal government to those delegated to it by the Constitution.

11th – Provides immunity to states from suits from out of state citizens and foreigners not living within the states borders and lays the foundation for sovereign immunity.

12th – Revises procedures for presidential elections.

13th – Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime.

14th – Defines citizenship and contains the privleges or immunities claus, the due process claus, the equal protection claus and deals with past civil war issues.

15th – Prohibits the denial of suffrage based on race, color or previous conditions of servitude.

16th – Allows the federal government to collect income tax.

17th – Establishes the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote.

18th – Establishes prohibition of alcohol. (Repealed by the 21st amendment).

19th – Establishes women’s suffrage.

20th – Fixes the date of term commencements as January 3rd for congress and January 20th for the president.

21st – Repeals the 18th amendment.

22nd – Limits the president to two terms or a maximum of 10 years.

23rd – Provides for the representation of Washington D.C. in the electoral college.

24th – Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to non payment of poll taxes.

25th – Codifies the Tyler precedent defining the terms of presedential succession.

26th – Establishes the official minimum voting age to be 18 years old.

27th – Prevents laws affecting congressional salary from taking effect until the beginning of the next session of congress.