Constitutions and Law

The Preamble to the United States Constitution begins with the famous phrase, We the people of the United States.

The Preamble serves as the introduction to the Constitution, outlining the goals and purposes of the government.

Tyranny is defined as a cruel and oppressive government or rule, characterized by the abuse of power and control.

An amendment is a formal change or addition to the Constitution.

The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States before being replaced by the current Constitution.

The 27th Amendment, ratified in 1992, stipulates that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress shall not take effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives.

The 23rd Amendment, ratified in 1961, granted residents of Washington D.C. the right to vote for representatives in the Electoral College. This allowed the district to participate in presidential elections.

The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

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

The 9th Amendment states that the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

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

The Preamble is the introductory statement of the Constitution that sets forth the goals and purposes of the document.

Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution outlines the procedures for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution.

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.