1. Amendment 14

• Defines citizenship – makes you a citizen of USA first, then of your state. – Before this state citizenship was supreme– States could deny citizenship to anyone they chose

• makes states follow due process of the law• guarantees equal protection of the law• A Civil Rights amendment

2. Amendment 13

• Ended slavery, except as punishment for a crime

• A Civil Rights amendment

3. Amendment 15

• Gave the right to vote to black men• Civil Rights amendment (voting)

4. Amendment 19

• Gave the right to vote to women• Civil Rights amendment (voting)

5. Amendment 26

• Voting age lowered to 18• Vietnam war• Civil Rights amendment (voting)

6. Suffrage

• The right to vote• First held by white, male property owners– Extended to black men (Am #15, in 1870)– All property requirements gone by 1880– Extended to women (Am #19, in 1920)– Extended to residents of Washington DC to vote in

presidential elections (Am #23, 1961)– Voting age lowered to 18 (Am #26, 1971)

7. Miranda Rights

• Miranda v. Arizona• Accused persons must be read their rights

when they are arrested• Right to remain silent (#5)• Right to an attorney (#6)– Even if you can’t afford one

Rights of the Accused

8. Amendment 1

• Freedom of Religion• Freedom of Speech• Freedom of the Press• Right to Peaceable Assembly• Right to petition the government

• Individual Rights Amendment

9. Amendment 2

• Right to bear arms• So people would have weapons if they were

called to fight for their state/country• Also as a check against government tyranny

• Individual Rights

10. Amendment 4

• Guarantees your Right to Privacy– Protection against unreasonable searches and

seizures; must have a warrant that describes the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized

– People or their homes may not be searched without a good reason (probable cause).

– Search warrants (from judge) can only be issued if witnesses give good reasons UNDER OATH.

• Individual Rights

11. Amendment 5

• Indicted by a Grand Jury for a capital (serious) offense• No double jeopardy (tried twice for the same crime)• Can’t be forced to testify (give evidence) against

yourself (called self-incrimination) “I plead the 5th”• Guarantees Due Process of Law (your natural rights

can’t be taken away unless all rules are followed)• Eminent Domain – the government may seize private

land for public use, but they must pay a fair price

• Individual Rights, Rights of the Accused

12. Amendment 6

• Right to a speedy and public trial by jury• Right to an attorney/lawyer• Right to know the charges against you (what

you are accused of)• Right to call witnesses in court (right to see

and question those who accuse you)

• Individual Rights, Rights of the Accused

13. Amendment 7

• Right to a jury trial in civil (non-criminal) cases where value is $20 or more – About $500 today

• Individual Rights

14. Amendment 8

• No excessive bail or fines• No cruel or unusual punishment

• Individual Rights, Rights of the Accused

15. Amendment 9

• Rights retained by the PEOPLE

• The people may have rights that are not listed in the Constitution.– Just because it’s not listed in the Bill of Rights

doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not a right

• Individual Rights Amendment

16. Amendment 10

• Powers reserved to the states and the people

• Powers not given to federal govt. (nor denied to the states) are given to the states or people– reserved powers

• Example: elections, education, marriage and driver’s licenses, etc.

• Individual Rights amendment

17. Civil Rights

• Basic freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution• Includes political rights (like voting)• Women, African Americans, and other

minorities were granted “RIGHTS” that they never had before

• Amendments 13, 14, 15 and 19

18. Brown v. Board of Education

• Supreme Court case that ended segregation in public schools

• Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (separate but equal doctrine)

• Allowed African Americans to attend school with white students

• Desegregation

19. Plessy v. Ferguson

• Supreme Court case that said the Separate but Equal doctrine was okay

• Separate facilities for black and white people were fine as long as they were equal– They were never really equal

• Made racial segregation (separation) legal until overturned by a later court ruling – Brown v. Board of Education

20. Marbury v. Madison

• Supreme Court case where the court gave itself the power of Judicial Review– court could overturn laws it found to be

unconstitutional

21. Jim Crow Laws

• Laws that were used to enforce racial segregation (separation) in the US

• Found in both northern and southern states– Worse in the south

• After the end of post-Civil War Reconstruction

22. Double Jeopardy

• You can’t be tried twice for the same crime • 5th Amendment

23. Popular Sovereignty

• The people hold the ultimate power

24. Due Process of Law

• 5th Amendment• Everyone is treated “fairly under the law”

because the govt. must follow all the rules– No shortcuts in legal system

• Everyone gets a day in court

25. Voting Rights• 15th Amendment– Suffrage for black males

• 19th Amendment– Suffrage for women

• 23rd Amendment– DC voting rights in presidential elections

• 24th Amendment– Outlawed Poll Tax

• 26th Amendment– Suffrage for anyone 18+ years old

26. Separation of Powers

• Govt’s power divided between 3 branches, each with its own jobs– Legislative branch – makes law– Executive branch – enforces law– Judicial branch – interprets law and settle disputes

• Limited Govt.

27. Checks and Balances

• Each branch of government has ways to check (limit) the powers of the other two branches

• Limited Govt.

28. Judicial Review

• Part of checks and balances• Supreme Court decides if law is constitutional

or not• Marbury v. Madison is the case that set the

precedent of judicial review

• Limited Govt.

29. Treason

• Taking the side of the enemy in wartime• The only crime defined in the Constitution– In Article 3

30. Censorship

• Government examines books, movies, etc., and removes unacceptable parts before publication

• Violation of 1st Amendment

31. Libel

• Attempting to hurt someone’s reputation by spreading lies in the press

• A limit on freedom of the press

32. Slander

• Spreading lies to hurt someone’s reputation• Slander is spoken– Libel is written

• A limit on freedom of speech

33. Indict

• Formally charge a perspm with a crime before putting them on trial

• Done by a Grand Jury• Part of the 5th amendment– Rights of the Accused

34. Eminent Domain

• 5th Amendment• Govt. can take private land for public use but

they must pay a fair price– State and Federal governments only have to pay

you fair market value for your property, with or without your consent

35. 22nd Amendment

• A check on the power of the presidency– To keep the president from getting too powerful• The longer they’re in, the more power they can get

• Limits the president to ten years in office• 10 years = 2 terms + 2 years• 2 terms and 2 years…..22nd Amendment

36. Federalism

• Divides government’s power into national and state levels

• The national govt. is more powerful than state or local govts.– Supremacy Clause