Unit I. The History of Law

Text 1: “The Constitution of the United States”

Task 1: read and translate the text

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It guides American society in law and political culture, establishing the country’s political system. The Constitution of the USA was adopted after the War of Independence on September 17, 1787. In the 200 years of its history, the United States has grown and changed greatly. Yet the Constitution works as well today as when it was written. One reason is that the Constitution can be amended.

The US Constitution consists of the Preamble and seven articles. The first three Articles of the Constitution establish the rules and separate powers of the three branches of the federal government: a legislature, the bicameral Congress; an executive branch led by the President; and a federal judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. The last four Articles frame the principle of federalism. Twenty-seven amendments have so far been made to the original text of the Constitution. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added in a group in 1791, as a result of growing popular demands. These amendments establish the individual rights and freedoms to all people of the States, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of worship, the right to peaceful assembly etc. Some of these amendments are now relatively unimportant, but the Fifth Amendment retains its significance in the fight of the American people for their civil rights. It provides that ‘no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law’ and no person ‘shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself’.

All the amendments adopted by the Congress become an integral part of the Constitution. The following amendments are considered the most important:

- The Thirteenth amendment abolished slavery.

- The Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments adopted in 1868 and 1870 defined citizenship and gave the vote to all male citizens regardless of race, colour or previous condition of servitude.

- The Nineteenth amendment gave the vote to women and was adopted in 1920.

- The Twenty-second amendment, adopted in 1951, makes it impossible for any President to hold office for more than two terms.

- The Twenty-sixth amendment was adopted in 1971 and it lowered the voting age to 18 years.