AIR Amendment Review 1 1 - 27

What Does It Say: The 11th Amendment prevents federal courts from hearing lawsuits against states, which changes part of Article III, Section 2 of the US Constitution.

Why Did It Happen: The proposal for this amendment was introduced one day after the Supreme Court ruled that an individual could sue a state in federal court in the case of Chisholm v Georgia (1793)

What Does It Say: The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, and the person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be Vice-President

Why Did It Happen: The 12th Amendment was passed in response to a tie vote in the 1800 election between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.

What Does It Say: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Why Did It Happen: President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued on January 1, 1863, only freed slaves from the Confederate states that had seceded. The 13th Amendment was able to free all slaves and indentured servants throughout the country.

What Does It Say: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Why Did It Happen: Grants former slaves citizenship in the United States and guarantees former slaves equal protection and due process.

What Does It Say: The right of citizens of the United States 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.

Why Did It Happen: To guarantee the right to vote and guarantees that right cannot be denied based on race.

What Does It Say: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes.

Why Did It Happen: This amendment reversed the Pollock v. Farmers' Loan and Trust Company (1895) Supreme Court decision that made a national income tax almost impossible.

What Does It Say: The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

Why Did It Happen: So that US senators would be voted into office by direct elections instead of by state legislatures, as set out in Article I, Section 3 of the US Constitution.

What Does It Say: The manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

Why Did It Happen: To reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America.

What Does It Say: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex

Why Did It Happen: An increase in women's roles stateside during WWI.

What Does It Say: The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January

Why Did It Happen: Better forms of transportation made the long wait between the election and inauguration pointless.

What Does It Say: The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Why Did It Happen: Prohibition was largely a failure, and it takes an amendment to repeal an amendment

What Does It Say: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

Why Did It Happen: This is mostly because George Washington decided to retire after just two terms, which set the precedent for the next 150 years of presidents in the United States.

What Does It Say: The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State.

Why Did It Happen: Before this amendment was ratified, DC residents were denied the right to vote for federal public officials.

What Does It Say: The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

Why Did It Happen: At first, that expanded the right to vote because more citizens could pay the poll tax than prove they were property owners. However, poll taxes were brought back as a way to prevent black Americans from voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What Does It Say: In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Why Did It Happen: It was initially passed out of fear of presidential succession after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

What Does It Say: The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Why Did It Happen: During the Vietnam War, men were being drafted from the age of 18 and yet they didn't have the right to vote.

What Does It Say: No law varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

Why Did It Happen: In 1982, a movement to ratify the amendment was started by an undergraduate student to prevent corruption in Congress. By the '90s, the necessary 38 states had ratified the amendment, almost 203 years after it was proposed.