Us Const°

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION 1st Amendment – 1791 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Left: Original photo of New York Times journalist Jacques Steinberg. Right: Photo aired on Fox News on July 2, 2008.

2nd Amendment – 1791 A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

5th Amendment – 1791 No person shall (…) be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law (…). To "plead the Fifth" is to refuse to answer a question because the response could provide self-incriminating evidence of an illegal conduct. It is directly related to the question of torture for extracting information and confessions

15th Amendment – 1870 The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied (…) on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Some states found ways to prevent blacks from voting (fraud, intimidation, illiteracy clauses). Until 1915, many states used the "grandfather clause" : you could not vote unless your grandfather had voted – impossible for people whose ancestors were slaves.

24th Amendment – 1964 The right of citizens of the United States to vote (…) shall not be denied (…) by reason of failure to pay any (…) tax.

18th Amendment – 1919 (repealed by 21st Amendment in 1933) Tthe manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within (…)the United States (…) is prohibited.