Bill of Rights and Amendments
HIS/301
November 15, 2012
Bill of Rights and Amendments
In 1789 the highest law of the United States created by a group of men known as the “Framers”, came together to discuss ideas of a new government. The document that derived from these discussions is known today as “The Constitution”. With Article V of the Constitution, the Framers gave the government a way to make necessary changes that would be needed for the people. These changes to the document would be known as amendments that would establish the means to amend the document according to a two-step process. First, by a two-thirds vote from both houses of Congress, or by a special ...view middle of the document...
Citizens of the United States are free to express their feelings both positively and negatively in regards to how our government is operated. If accused of a crime, citizens of the United States have the right to know the crime being charged, granted the right to have legal representation and a trial with a jury of fellow peers. Americans have the freedom to live, own property anywhere in our nation, attend school, and join a union or a political party of their choice. The Constitution combined with the Bill of Rights and the 17 other amendments provide the American people with a plan for our government and how it should work (The Constitution, 2012).
Accepted in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment ended slavery for the people of our nation. The amendment stated that “no slavery or involuntary servitude will be accepted unless it is a punishment for a crime whereby a person was found guilty” (Linder, 2012). It was agreed upon to allow slavery and to give slaves owners the ability to count a slave as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of the number to representatives that could be allowed in Congress. This Amendment leads to other Civil rights movements such as the Civil rights act of 1866 which gave black citizens the same rights as white citizens. The Fourteenth Amendment in essence was to protect the newly freed slaves as well as the nation from the Southern States in fear that their passing racially discriminatory laws. The amendment provides for all persons born in this country the right of citizenship; no state can strip anyone their due rights of citizenship as well as a guarantee to each individual the right of life, liberty, and due process (Linder,2012). The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, allowed former slaves to retain the right to vote by banning states from passing laws that discriminated...