02.08 How Can the Constitution Change?

When did the consititution protect woman and mens right to vote?

1930

Why could this process take a long time?

Each state legislature makes its own voting schedule. Therefore, a proposed amendment could wait months or years for ratification.

The amendment process is a great example of what?

Federalism bc the state and federal governments must work together to change the Constitution.

Why have there been so few changes to the Constitution?

Founding Fathers worried that those in power would be tempted to change the Constitution to meet their own needs. ALSO The Founding Fathers made it difficult to amend the Constitution. You will see that the process helps make sure that any change is supported by most citizens. The process also prevents changes that benefit only the leaders in power.

An example of how new federal or state laws will sometimes limit the effects of an amendment.

How after the 15th Amendment was ratified, many states created poll taxes. Charging a fee to vote prevented many former slaves from voting (and many poor white people as well). The 24th Amendment ended this practice.

What did the 13th amendment do?

Made slavery unconstitutional They granted citizenship to former slaves as well as the same protections and rights as other citizens.

Amendment Processes

One example is the Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA for short. The goal of this proposed amendment is to ensure equality under the law for women. Congress proposed the ERA in 1972. Thirty-five states ratified the amendment by 1978. However, 38 states were required to ratify to meet the three-fourths ratification rule. Americans disagree on the effects the ERA could have, with women and men on both sides of the debate.

How many changes to the constitution have we made in the past 200 years?

Only 27

Equal Protection Clause

Part of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution saying that every citizen has the same rights under the law. It is meant to prevent state governments from applying the laws in different ways for different groups of citizens.

What 2 steps must Americans follow if they wish to change the constitution?

Proposal—the amendment idea is officially presented for debate And Ratification—the amendment idea is passed and becomes part of the Constitution

Why was the 13th Amendment necessary?

Slavery was against federal law after the Civil War, but not all states gave former slaves legal citizenship or voting rights.

13, 14, 15 Amendments

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were ratified in the five years after the Civil War. These amendments are known as the "Civil War Amendments.

After the Civil War what did the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments do for the slaves?

The amendments made it possible for former slaves to live their lives as free citizens. They could choose where to live, their work or employer, and to start a family.

What is one of the constitutions biggest strengths?

The flexibility of the constitution

What does article 5 explain?

The process for amending the Constitution

What did the slave owners have control over?

The slave owner made most decisions affecting the slaves' lives, such as where to live, what work to do, and who to marry. The slaves also couldn't vote or express their views to government leaders.

What happens during ratification?

The states are the main players in this step. Three-quarters of the states must vote yes to ratify the amendment. Usually, the state legislatures vote on whether to ratify. Only once has three-quarters of special state conventions ratified an amendment, the 21st.

What did the Bill of Rights do?

The states ratified them as a group within a few years of the Constitution itself

What did leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believe?

They favored civil disobedience as a way to protest. Their peaceful methods and ideas gained the support of many.

How were most amendment ratified?

Twenty-six out of 27 amendments were ratified through the same process Two-thirds of both houses of Congress voted in favor of each proposal Three-fourths of the state legislatures voted to ratify.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

U.S. law that banned discrimination at work and school

Civil Rights Act of 1968

U.S. law that banned discrimination in housing

Voting Rights Act of 1965

U.S. law that banned the use of literacy tests and encouraged voter registration

Civil Rights Movement

U.S. social movement of the 1950s and 1960s to secure equal rights for African Americans

Why were the 13 and 14 amendments important?

Without them, owning a business, voting, marriage, and other rights would not have not been possible for many former slaves.

Did the Founding Fathers think it would be important for the Constitution to endure over time?

Yes! People and societies change over time. The Constitution needed to be able to meet the country's needs even as ways of thinking changed

Amendment

a formal change to the U.S. Constitution

Right

a protection or privilege due to a person by law, tradition, or nature

Literacy Tests

an exam to test a person's ability to read and write

Primary Source

any source created at the time of the historical period under study

Civil Disobedience

breaking a law as a means of nonviolent protest

What would happen without freedom of speech?

citizens would not be able to protest, assemble, and petition government for changes, like extension of voting rights.

14th Amendment

crucial to civil rights efforts. It says that all citizens have the same protections under the law. Many people working for civil rights point out this amendment to show why their complaints justify a change.

What did the 14th Amendment do?

defined former slaves as citizen

Federalism

division of powers among the local, state, and national governments

What was the goal of the Civil Rights Movement

enforce rights for African Americans. They wanted protection from states that passed unfair laws or ignored discrimination

What were in many of the 17 amendments that followed the Bill of Rights?

extended rights and protections to more Americans.

Data

information, facts, or statistics

U.S. Constitution

plan detailing the structure, functions, and powers of the government of the United States, also known as the Constitution

Repealed

to end a law by official means

Prohibited:

to prevent somebody from doing something by passing a law or rule against the action

Discrimination

unfair treatment of a person or group usually because of prejudice

What was the Civil war?

(1861-1865) was a bitter war between parts of the United States over slavery and the powers of state governments. The Southern states hoped to gain states' rights based on the text of the Tenth Amendment. It says the states have powers not listed for the federal government elsewhere in the Constitution.

What did the 15 Amendment Accomplish?

The 15th Amendment protects the right of citizens to vote no matter their race or skin color.

When we see a woman voting on Election Day what do we see an impact of?

The 19th Amendment

What federal laws did Congress pass do to this?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Outlawed discrimination at work and school The Voting Rights Act of 1965: outlawed the use of literacy tests as a requirement to vote. The Civil Rights Act of 1968: ended unfair practices in selling and renting housing.