 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1795) |
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The Eleventh Amendment sets judicial jurisdictions, creating a separation between federal and state court systems. The amendment was passed by Congress March 4, 1794, and ratified February 7, 1795.
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| 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1865) |
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The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States except for as punishment for a crime. This exception has become a source of debate and controversy regarding the escalation of incarceration rates and the exploitation of incarcerated people for the benefit of corporate profits. The amendment was passed by Congress January 31, 1865, and ratified December 6, 1865.
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| 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1868) |
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The Fourteenth Amendment gave citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. The Equal Protection clause drastically amended the Constitution and has been used by the Supreme Court to justify expansion of rights. The amendment was passed by Congress June 13, 1866, and ratified July 9, 1868.
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| 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1870) |
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The Fifteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to African American men by prohibiting the denial of suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The amendment was passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870.
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| 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1920) |
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The Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote by prohibiting the denial of suffrage based on sex. The amendment was passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified August 18, 1920.
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| 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution (1964) |
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The Twenty-Fourth Amendment prevents the use of poll taxes in elections. It was passed during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement along with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to actualize voting rights for people of all races guaranteed by the 15th Amendment. The amendment was passed by Congress August 27, 1962, and ratified January 23, 1964.
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| Bill of Rights (1791) |
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The first 10 amendments to the Constitution guarantee certain personal rights and limit the power of the federal government. These amendments are continuously considered by the Supreme Court in their rulings.
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| California Proposition 6 (2024) |
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A proposed amendment to the California that would have banned involuntary servitude as a punishment for a crime. This measure failed in the 2024 election, meaning the State of California remains one of 16 states that still allows forced labor. A similar ballot measure also failed in 2022.
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| Colorado Repeal Exception To Constitutional Ban On Slavery (2018) |
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Colorado's repeal of the constitutional exception to slavery ended involuntary servitude as a punishment for a crime.
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| Equal Rights Amendment of 1972 |
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The Equal Rights Amendment of 1972 was intended to guarantee protection against sexual discrimination for women. It passed Congress in 1972, but only 35 of the requisite 38 states ratified the amendment before the deadline set by Congress. The Equal Rights amendment was written by Alice Paul in 1921 and first presented to Congress in 1923, shortly after the amendment granting women voting rights was ratified.
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| Nebraska Civil Rights Initiative (2008) |
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This amendment to the Nebraska Constitution banned the use of affirmative action in the "operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting." It was initiated as a ballot measure that was approved in 2008.
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| Texas Poll Tax (1901) |
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This poll tax law in Texas was voted on in a referendum in the 1902 election as a proposed amendment to the state constitution.
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