...Bill of Rights and Amendments Tahitia G. Brown HIS/301 May 17, 2012 Abeba Salter-Woods Bill of Rights and Amendments The original United States Constitution was ratified in 1787. However the current document by which all laws are governed was confirmed and made into law on September 17th of 1789. This document enabled the people some control over government, which was created not only for them by also by the said people. The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution in a manner, that the text could evolve and mature just as the persons for which it was written. This paper will detail how and why amendments become a part of the constitution, problems which have arisen due to the original document motivating the adoption of the Bill of Rights and their effects. Further listing other issues arising, due to changes in society which have led to amendments thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, and their affects (University of Phoenix, 2010). Amendments In Article V of the Constitution an amendment process was adopted to ensure that as changes in society occur, so should the document by which all inalienable rights and freedoms are explained in depth. The aforementioned article stipulates the ways in which the Constitution may be amended. The first is by a two-thirds vote from both the House and Representatives and the Senate and 38 of the 50 states must ratify the proposed amendment, which has been the only manner in which all...
Words: 1143 - Pages: 5
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Bill of Rights and Amendments The United States Constitution was recognized to Americans as a vague statement in clarifying the privileges and the rights of individuals and centralizing the power within the government itself. With the passing of the Bill of Rights and the first ten amendments, it grants the people to what is said to be their “natural rights” following additional rights that have significantly changed our society. Amendments and Constitution According to the Constitution, an amendment may be proposed and be presented, where it is put to a two thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The original article is then forwarded for processing and publication to NARA's Office of the Federal Register (OFR) (U.S. Constitution, 2011). The OFR maintains the document until it is either adopted or a failed amendment, then it is transferred for protection to the National Archives. Soon after a proposed amendment is ratified by three-fourths of the states, it becomes a part of the Constitution. (U.S. Constitution, 2011) Not all proposed amendments are accepted and must meet certain constitutional purpose to be passed, for example: after the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and stating that “all men are created equal” the institutionalized system of servitude was a reason to pass to what is now the 13th Amendment of the Constitution and the abolition of slavery. This amendment provided that neither...
Words: 1340 - Pages: 6
...Bill of Rights and Amendments HIS/301 September 12, 2011 Professor James Newman Bill of Rights and Amendments The Constitution became ratified and the supreme law of the land September 17, 1787. Our forefathers understood that the possibility of changes may need to occur to this document to continue to grow with the expanding nation. The act of amending is the way the founders have set up to create any possible changes Americans feel need to be made. Without these changes the nation inhibits itself, and remains in the context of a black and white document. In a nation of unique individuals change is constant and what keeps this country thriving. This paper will continue to discuss how and why amendments become part of the Constitution, what problems with the original document motivates the adoption of the Bill of Rights, the effects of the Bill of Rights, what problems or changes in society led to Amendments XIII through XV, and the effects of these later Amendments. Amendments: The Why and How The United States of America is a country constantly growing and filled with different ideas of change. For the United States to keep up with the constant change, they must be able to add amendments. For example slavery and women’s right to vote, both added in later generations because the normal perception of these individuals had changed. If the amending process had not been created people of such high power would not exist today. For example, President Obama,...
Words: 1626 - Pages: 7
...The Bill of Rights and Amendments Throughout history the United of States experiences several of events. These events made an impact on our nation which left a mark. The impact of the events led to the changes of the constitution which are referred to as amendments. The original ten amendments made to the United States Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights, these were created by our forefathers. This essay will discuss, the understanding of why did our amendments became a part of the constitution, and what issues of the original documents motivated the adoption of the Bill of rights. People and the government are constantly making changes which could affect their lives as well as others. Therefore, there were many effects because the Bill of Rights. This essay will further discuss the problems with the original document, the changes in society, which led to later amendments, and the effect of those amendments. How and why the amendments become part of the Constitution In order to adjust to society constantly changing, there are changes made to the constitution. It is mention within an article that changes could be made to the constitution. Making changes involves proposing an amendment following ratification, through this process the amendment become a part of the constitution. This process consist of The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate...
Words: 791 - Pages: 4
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper On September 17th, 1789 The United States Constitution was ratified and made law. The founders of United States Constitution had the foresight to give the constitution a way to grow and adapt with America’s needs, by including an amendment process to change or add to the rights of Americans. The amendment process has allowed America to continue growth and prosperity throughout the years and become one of the most powerful nations in the world. The amendment process will be covered in this paper along with the. The author of this paper will also look at later amendments to the constitution with an emphasis on amendments 13, 14 and 15 and the effects they had on America culture and society. The Purpose of Amendments The constitution was created with an amendment process in Article V to allow the document to adapt to changes in American society. According to article V of the Constitution an amendment can be passed by either a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a convention where two-thirds of the legislatures meet over an amendment. After the Amendment is approved in the convention process it must then be ratified by 75% of the state legislatures (UMKC School of Law, 2013). Without the Amendment process the United States would have been bound by the same rules that applied back in the late 1700’s. The Amendment process has made it possible for the Constitution to change...
Words: 1356 - Pages: 6
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper Jessica Ruiz HIS/301 April 4, 2013 Ryan Tarr Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper The Constitution is a fundamental law, which describes how a strong government should work (Zink, 2009). The Framers had stated that America’s Constitution was a vast contribution to the governments practice, and offered a new form of government to the United States. The United States Constitution is also known as the ultimate law, which was created by our founding fathers to establish a strong governmental structure, to meet the needs of the people in our nation. The Constitution was created to protect the rights of the people and their freedom by enforcing laws on the individuals who did in fact hold power on a political level. The vision of the Framers of an appropriate government for American’s was incorporated in the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. Amendments becoming part of the Constitution In the Constitution Article V reads, that there are two ways for an amendment to become a part of the United States Constitution. The first way is with a two third vote in both houses of Congress the House of Representatives and the Senate. Today the most common used method of the amendment process is the first way by having the Representatives and Senate vote. The second way is a convention that has been set up by two thirds of the state’s legislatures followed by ratification for the amendment (Patterson, 2009). The ratification process is...
Words: 1557 - Pages: 7
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper Jeremy Hall, Sheila Henderson, Sondra Lettsome, Elvina Scott, Desmond Thomas University of Phoenix U.S. Constitution HIS/301 Dr. John Theis November 10, 2011 Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper The founding fathers of our country had it right when they put in place an irrefutable plan of action and order. Although many things have changed since the inception of the original documents, the process and ways of which something must be done and adopted remains viable to us today. This example is not only found in the legislative democracy but also in the educational, religious, and social genres of the world. The constitution shares with all who take the time to peruse, the reasoning behind it, the amendments that are attached, and the rights of each person living the American Dream. After Congress proposes an amendment, the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is charged with responsibility for administering the ratification process under the provisions of 1 U.S.C. 106b (Archives.Gov.) If two-third of the number of votes of both the Senate and the House of Representative are in favor an amendment can be proposed by the Congress. Otherwise, two-thirds of the legislatures of the fifty states can call for a constitutional agreement for the purposes of proposing amendments to the Constitution. After an amendment to the Constitution has been proposed, it must be ratified...
Words: 1195 - Pages: 5
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper Renee Sumpter History 301 October 2, 2013 John Carter The Bill of Rights and the amendments to the Constitution is a very important in our history. These documents were written to correct mistakes that were within the original document. This paper will cove why the amendments became part of the Constitution, what parts of the original documents motivated the adoption of the Bill of Rights, and finally what the effects of the Bill of Rights has had for us as a society. Amendments are revisions or improvements to the original document that was written in 1788. Amendments become part of the Constitution when mistakes are found or a revision is needed to the original. To have an amendment go through two thirds of the House and the Senate must be in approval of the proposal. They must then send it to their states for a vote. Once the proposal has been sent to the states and voted on, three fourths of those states must affirm the propose Amendment. Amendments can be updates on already existing regulations or they can also be improvements on existing regulations. It is a revision to what has already been written in the Constitution. Because the law states that a law that is made in the Constitution cannot be removed or taken out of the Constitution. The only way to change or improve that law is to modify it. Amendments are meant as a way to change the Constitution. The problem with the original document of the Bill of Rights was that...
Words: 797 - Pages: 4
...when needed due to a changing society, or unfair legal practices that overstep human and or civil rights. Article Five of the Constitution made way for amendments such as the Bill of Rights, amendments thirteen through fifteen, among so many others that have made the United States the place it is today. An amendment to the Constitution is a change that can be added to the Constitution or a change to an older part. Amendments are necessary due to changing a society and or some parts of government over steps its boundaries, unless prohibited by the Constitution the overstepping could happen again. There are two ways to amend the Constitution, The first being to get a bill passed by both the house and the senate with at two thirds majority in each. If passed it then has to go to the states. The second way which has never been used is for a constitutional convention to be called by two thirds of the legislatures of the States, and then the amendment has to be sent to the States with approval from three fourths of convention or legislatures. This process was put into the constitution by the framers. According to the “US Constitution” (The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution...
Words: 719 - Pages: 3
...The Bill of Rights is a document written in 1789 with the crucial intent of protecting the rights of the people of the United States of America. For all that the document is, the Bill of Rights undeniably has amendments that stand apart from the rest when it comes to protecting and ensuring citizens' rights are honored and valued. Two of these critical amendments are the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment. The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. In other words, people of the United States of America have complete freedom to express their ideas/opinions, choose to follow any religion or not any at all, can peacefully meet and assemble with any size group, and lastly formally request...
Words: 393 - Pages: 2
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper HIS/301 United States Constitution January 26, 2012 The US Constitution is a living document which was designed to be ratified when needed due to a changing society, or unfair legal practices that overstep human and or civil rights. Article Five of the Constitution made way for amendments such as the Bill of Rights, amendments thirteen through fifteen, among so many others that have made the United States the place it is today. An amendment to the Constitution is a change that can be added to the Constitution or a change to an older part. Amendments are necessary due to changing a society and or some parts of government over steps its boundaries, unless prohibited by the Constitution the overstepping could happen again. There are two ways to amend the Constitution, The first being to get a bill passed by both the house and the senate with at two thirds majority in each. If passed it then has to go to the states. The second way which has never been used is for a constitutional convention to be called by two thirds of the legislatures of the States, and then the amendment has to be sent to the States with approval from three fourths of convention or legislatures. This process was put into the constitution by the framers. According to the “US Constitution” (The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...The Bill of Rights is the name for the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution. The first ten amendments protect basic American freedoms. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791, and those first ten amendments have not been changed since then. Owing to the fact that the Bill of Rights first became effective about 224 years ago, the language used in the document is very different from the language we use today. There are multiple parts to the first amendment, including the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech allows individuals to say their opinions or ideas without the fear of judgement. People are allowed to express their thoughts without being criticized. Having freedom of speech gives United States citizens...
Words: 406 - Pages: 2
...The first ten amendments are a very important part of the constitution known as the Bill of Rights as it protects thefoundation of American society. They protect the people from wrong doing or any crime acted towards them. It is simply our freedom to speak, practice our religion, freedom of press and right to assemble without any interruption. One of the most important freedoms granted by the first amendment to people in this country is freedom of religion and religious practice. Everyone has the full right to practice their own religion without any interference. Every religion has different beliefs, perspectives and opinions when it comes to marriage and it should not be taken lightly. Same sex marriage is also known as gay marriage or marriage...
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...1.Introduction The Bill of Rights is the name for the first ten amendments in the . One of the amendment is the right to privacy, the right to illegal searches and seizures; the right to a warrant. The original words are “ the right of the people to be secure in their persons , houses, papers , and effects , against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated , and upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation , and particularly”(The constitution). This amendment was written on September 25,1789 and ratified in December 15,1791 . The amendment I will be discussing you is the fourth amendment , this amendment gives you the right to have privacy and secures it against any unreasonable searches. This amendment was added...
Words: 1230 - Pages: 5
...The Bill of Rights has been around for a long time. The First Amendment was made holding five rights of American Citizens. This essay will tell you about two of the five amendments. The freedom of Speech and the Freedom of Religion. The freedom of speech has always been kind of forgotten until people take it for granted. People use it to talk over others and don’t even give people that same exact right. So why do we even have it? When this right was made it was made for people who actually needed a voice in a real argument. It was not made for people's petty arguments that neither of them are going to get a say in. The freedom of speech was made for men and women who needed a voice for themselves. Not for others. When...
Words: 260 - Pages: 2
