Focus Question:

How have constitutional

Amendments expanded the rights
of individuals in U.S. history?
Do Now: Use the Regents
Matching #1 worksheet from
yesterday to answer 2 questions on
your sheet.

From the June 2013 US History

Regents:
The creation of the House of Burgesses and
the signing of the Mayflower Compact
showed that American colonists
(1) supported the abolition of slavery
(2) practiced elements of self-government
(3) promoted public education
(4) demanded immediate independence

From the August 2012 US History

Regents:
Which event marked the beginning of the
space race with the Soviet Union?
(1) U-2 spy plane incident
(2) launch of Sputnik
(3) Berlin airlift
(4) creation of the space shuttle program

What is an
AMENDMENT?
A change to the Constitution
(amend= to fix)
Amendments are made when U.S.
society and government realizes
that there is a problem that can
only be fixed by changing the
Constitution.
Amendments are often aimed at
expanding the rights of individuals.

Amendment Topic

st

Freedom
of speech,
religion,
assembly,
the press

How did it expand rights?

Prevents the
government from
violating peoples
freedom of
expression

Amendment Topic

th

Search
and
seizure

How did it expand rights?

Authorities must
obtain a warrant to
search a persons
property

Amendment Topic

th

Rights
of the
accused

How did it expand rights?

People have the

right to remain
silent

Amendment Topic

th

Rights
of the
accused

How did it expand rights?

Right to a lawyer, a
fair trial

Amendment Topic

th

How did it expand rights?

Prevents cruel
Criminal
and unusual
punishment punishments for
crimes

Amendment Topic

th Equal
rights

14

How did it expand rights?

Guarantees all
people equal
protection of the
law

Amendment Topic

15

th Suffrage

How did it expand rights?

Gave the right to

vote to AfricanAmerican men

Amendment Topic

How did it expand rights?

Gave people the

th Expanding right to vote for
democracy the senators from
their state

17

Amendment Topic

19

th Suffrage

How did it expand rights?

Gave women the

right to vote

Amendment Topic

th Civil
rights

24

How did it expand rights?

Made the poll tax

and literacy test
illegal

Amendment Topic

26

th Suffrage

How did it expand rights?

Changed the voting

age from 21 to 18