Overview
Courtesy U.S. Archives
"The Constitution of the United States contains a preamble and seven articles that describe the way the government is structured and how it operates.
The first three articles establish the three branches of government and their powers: Legislative (Congress), Executive (office of the President,) and Judicial (Federal court system).
A system of checks and balances prevents any one of these separate powers from becoming dominant.
Articles four through seven describe the relationship of the states to the Federal Government, establish the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and define the amendment and ratification processes."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Preamble
Article I
"Article I assigns the responsibility for making laws to the Legislative Branch (Congress).
Congress is divided into two parts, or "Houses," the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The bicameral Congress was a compromise between the large states, which wanted representation based on population, and the small ones, which wanted the states to have equal representation."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Section 1
Article I
Section 2
Article I
Section 3
Article I
Section 4
Article I
Section 5
Article I
Section 6
Article I
Section 7
Article I
Section 8
Article I
Section 9
Article I
Section 10
Article II
"Article II details the Executive Branch and the offices of the President and Vice President.
It lays down rules for electing the President (through the Electoral College), eligibility (must be a natural-born citizen at least 35 years old), and term length.
The 12th and 25th Amendments modified some of these rules."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Section 1
Article II
Section 2
Article II
Section 3
Article II
Section 4
Article III
"Article III establishes the Judicial Branch with the U.S.
Supreme Court as the federal court system's highest court.
It specifies that Federal judges be appointed for life unless they commit a serious crime.
This article is shorter than Articles I and II. The Federal Convention left much of the work of planning the court system to the First Congress.
The 1789 Judiciary Act created the three-tiered court system in place today."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Section 1
Article III
Section 2
Article III
Section 3
Article IV
"Article IV outlines states' powers in relationship to each other.
States have the authority to create and enforce their own laws but must respect and help enforce the laws of other states.
Congress may pass Federal laws regarding how states honor other states' laws and records."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Section 1
Article IV
Section 2
Article IV
Section 3
Article IV
Section 4
Article V
"Article V explains the amendment process, which is different and more difficult than the process for making laws.
When two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House of Representatives vote to change the Constitution, an amendment goes to the state legislatures for a vote. Alternatively, two-thirds of the state legislatures can submit an application to Congress, and then Congress calls a national convention at which states propose amendments.
Three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions must vote in favor of an amendment to ratify it."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Article V
Article VI
"Article VI states that Federal law is supreme, or higher than, state and local laws.
This means that if a state law conflicts with a Federal law, Federal law takes precedence."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Article VI
Article VII
"Article VII describes the ratification process for the Constitution. It called for special state ratifying conventions.
Nine states were required to enact the Constitution." New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788. (RYC editor's note)
"Rhode Island became the 13th state to ratify the Constitution in 1790."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Article VII
Article VII
Bill of Rights
Courtesy U.S. Archives
"The Constitution might never have been ratified if the framers hadn't promised to add a Bill of Rights.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contain many of today's Americans' most valued freedoms."
U.S.Archives
"The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government. It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual-like freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal Government to the people or the States.
And it specifies that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment I
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The First Amendment provides several rights protections: to express ideas through speech and the press, to assemble or gather with a group to protest or for other reasons, and to ask the government to fix problems.
It also protects the right to religious beliefs and practices.
It prevents the government from creating or favoring a religion."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment I
Amendment II
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.""
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment II
Amendment III
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Third Amendment prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes.
Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment III
Amendment IV
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Fourth Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an individual or their private property."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment IV
Amendment V
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes. It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury.
A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken away without just compensation.
People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law (fair procedures and trials.)"
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment V
Amendment VI
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges.
Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment VI
Amendment VII
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment VII
Amendment VIII
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Eighth Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment VIII
Amendment IX
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment IX
Amendment X
Date Ratified: 12/15/1791
"The Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution.
If it isn't listed, it belongs to the states or to the people."
 
U.S.Archives
|
Amendment X
Amendment XI
Date Passed by Congress: 03/04/1794
Date Ratified: 02/07/1795
Amendment XI
Amendment XII
Date Passed by Congress: 12/09/1803
Date Ratified: 06/15/1804
Amendment XII
Amendment XIII
Date Passed by Congress: 01/31/1865
Date Ratified: 12/06/1865
Section 1
Amendment XIII
Section 2
Amendment XIV
Date Passed by Congress: 06/13/1866
Date Ratified: 07/09/1868
Section 1
Amendment XIV
Section 2
Amendment XIV
Section 3
Amendment XIV
Section 4
Amendment XIV
Section 5
Amendment XV
Date Passed by Congress: 02/26/1869
Date Ratified: 02/03/1870
Section 1
Amendment XV
Section 2
Amendment XVI
Date Passed by Congress: 07/02/1909
Date Ratified: 02/03/1913
Amendment XVI
Amendment XVII
Date Passed by Congress: 05/13/1912
Date Ratified: 04/08/1913
Amendment XVII
Amendment XVIII
Date Passed by Congress: 12/18/1917
Date Ratified: 01/16/1919
Section 1
Amendment XVIII
Section 2
Amendment XVIII
Section 3
Amendment XIX
Date Passed by Congress: 06/04/1919
Date Ratified: 08/18/1920
Amendment XIX
Amendment XX
Date Passed by Congress: 03/02/1932
Date Ratified: 01/23/1933
Section 1
Amendment XX
Section 2
Amendment XX
Section 3
Amendment XX
Section 4
Amendment XX
Section 5
Amendment XX
Section 6
Amendment XXI
Date Passed by Congress: 02/20/1933
Date Ratified: 12/05/1933
Section 1
Amendment XXI
Section 2
Amendment XXI
Section 3
Amendment XXII
Date Passed by Congress: 03/21/1947
Date Ratified: 02/27/1951
Section 1
Amendment XXII
Section 2
Amendment XXIII
Date Passed by Congress: 06/16/1960
Date Ratified: 03/29/1961
Section 1
Amendment XXIII
Section 2
Amendment XXIV
Date Passed by Congress: 09/14/1962
Date Ratified: 01/23/1964
Section 1
Amendment XXIV
Section 2
Amendment XXV
Date Passed by Congress: 07/06/1965
Date Ratified: 012/10/1967
Section 1
Amendment XXV
Section 2
Amendment XXV
Section 3
Amendment XXV
Section 4
Amendment XXVI
Date Passed by Congress: 03/23/1971
Date Ratified: 07/01/1971
Section 1
Amendment XXVI
Section 2
Amendment XXVII
Date Passed by Congress: 09/25/1789
Date Ratified: 57/07/1992
Amendment XXVII
|
|