How and Why Do Amendments Become Part of the Constitution?

Resource: Article V of the Constitution and the 27 amendments in the Appendixes of the text

Answer the following questions:

· How and why do amendments become part of the Constitution?

An Amendment can be made two ways according to article V of the Constitution; If two thirds of both houses of congress agree an Amendment is neccessary, they write one up and send a copy to each state or; If two thirds of the states call for special conventions to propose new Amendments and three fourths agree to the amendment.

An amendment is made to the constitution when it is necessary for change while still preserving what the constitution represents.

· What problems with the original document motivated the adoption of the Bill of Rights?

anti central gov controll.

The origional document called for a stronger and centralized American government. Antifederalists felt this centralized government would be tyrannical. They believed that the state governments should have kept the power because those authorities, being closer to their people, wouldn't tyrannize them.

· What have been the effects of the Bill of Rights?

The main impression of the Bill of Rights on America is that these amendments have shown Americans how significant the notion of civil liberties is. These amendments forge the notion that all Americans have various rights that are safeguarded from government intrusions.

· What problems with the original document, or changes in society, led to later amendments? Choose one of the following groups to discuss:

o Thirteenth through Fifteenth Amendments *

The Civil War led to the 13th through 15th amendments. In the origional Constitution slavery, was the structure of the southern states economy. Because of economical and social differences between the North and the South the Civil War was faught and won by the north. The north amended the constitution to end slavery and to give those freed slaves rights equal to the rights of whites.

What have been the...