Amendments to the Constitution

Since 1789 the Constitution has been amended 27 times, most recently in 1992. The first ten amendments were made in 1791, and list basic rights that many people had wanted to include in

the original Constitution, but had left out in order to persuade all the states to ratify it. These amendrnents are together known as the Bill of Rights. Among other things, the Bill of Rights promises citizens the right to free speech (= the right to say what they want without the government trying to stop them), freedom ofreligion, the right not to be arrested or searched without a good reason, and theright of anyone accused of a crime to have a fair trial.

Some changes to the Constitution have been more successful than others. The First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech and religion is an essential principle of American life. The Second Amendment, which gives people the right to carry guns, is now the subject of public debate and many people are opposed to it. The 18th Amendment, passed in 1919, created Prohibition, making it illegal for people to make or buy alcoholic drinks. However, this measure was not successful, and in 1933 the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th, so that alcohol became legal again.

Some amendments reflect changes in American society. The Constitution was written by white men, mainly to protect their rights. Following the Civil War, the 13th Amendment (1865) and the 15th Amendment (1870) gave the same rights to people of all races. In 1920 the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Changing the Constitution requires wide support of people elected to public offices. In the 1970s the Equal Rights Amendment, which said that women had the same rights as men, was passed by Congress but failed to be ratified by the required number of states and so was defeated.