Constitutional Amendments

Grade 8 · Social Studies · Flashcards

Review the most important amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the rights and changes they established.

Flashcards

1st Amendment: Protects freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government.
2nd Amendment: Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
4th Amendment: Protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures; requires a warrant based on probable cause.
5th Amendment: Protects against self-incrimination and double jeopardy; guarantees due process of law.
6th Amendment: Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial by jury, and the right to an attorney.
8th Amendment: Prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.
13th Amendment (1865): Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States.
14th Amendment (1868): Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.; guaranteed equal protection under the law.
15th Amendment (1870): Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
19th Amendment (1920): Granted women the right to vote, prohibiting denial of suffrage based on sex.
26th Amendment (1971): Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 for all U.S. citizens.
Bill of Rights: The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791, protecting individual freedoms from government overreach.