Amendments to the US Constitution Flashcards
2nd Amendment
Protects the right to bear arms
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
1st Amendment
Protects freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
3rd Amendment
Prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers during peacetime
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
4th Amendment
Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause
Proposal date:September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
5th Amendment
Sets out rules for indictment by grand jury and eminent domain, protects the right to due process, and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
6th Amendment
Protects the right to a fair and speedy public trial by jury, including the rights to be notified of the accusations, to confront the accuser, to obtain witnesses and to retain counsel
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
7th Amendment
Provides for the right to trial by jury in certain civil cases, according to common law
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
8th Amendment
Prohibits excessive fines and excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
9th Amendment
Protects rights not enumerated in the constitution
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
10th Amendment
Limits the powers of the federal government to those delegated to it by the Constitution
Proposal date: September 25, 1789
Enactment date: December 15, 1791
11th Amendment
Makes states immune from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders; lays the foundation for sovereign immunity
Proposal date: March 4, 1794
Enactment date: February 7, 1795
12th Amendment
Revises presidential election procedures
Proposal date: December 9, 1803
Enactment date: June 15, 1804
13th Amendment
Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime
Proposal date: January 31, 1865
Enactment date: December 6, 1865
14th Amendment
Defines citizenship, contains the Privileges or Immunities Clause, the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and deals with post-Civil War issues
Proposal date: June 13, 1866
Enactment date: July 9, 1868
15th Amendment
Prohibits the denial of suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude
Proposal date: February 26, 1869
Enactment date: February 3, 1870