Constitutions and Law

The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, explicitly states that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed all citizens equal protection under the law.

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime.

The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits a president to two elected terms in office.

The 2nd Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

The 10th Amendment states that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The 4th Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures and requires warrants to be supported by probable cause.

The 6th Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, and the right to an impartial jury.

The 1st Amendment protects the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.

The 8th Amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishments.

The 5th Amendment provides that no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.

The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18.

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States.

The number of representatives in the House of Representatives for each state is determined by the state's population as measured by the census.

The Constitution provides that each state, regardless of its population, is entitled to two senators.