Amendment XVIII

Section 1.

After one year from the ratification of this article 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.

Section 2.

The Congress and the several states shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Section 3.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several states, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the states by the Congress.

The 18th Amendment was based on the prohibition of alcohol. This Amendment made it illegal to make, sale, move, and use of alcohol. This Amendment was later repealed. 

This picture shows a protest of the Amendment during the prohibition era.

This video is not the best, but gives a representation of why some thought the Amendment would help America possibly become safer. 

Amendment XVII

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. The electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures.

When vacancies happen in the representation of any state in the Senate, the executive authority of such state shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, that the legislature of any state may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.

This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution.

The 16th Amendment writes on the aspect of U.S. Senators. It states how many senators there can be from each state, what their qualifications must be, how long they stay in their office, and how they are elected. 

This picture gives us a brief history of the 17th Amendment and hwy it was created. 

This video shows and sort of explains the 17th Amendment. It also shows the reason why it was created and how it gives empowerment back to the states. 

Amendment XVI

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

Amendment 16 states that the government has the power to set income tax rates as well as collect those taxes that are required to be paid. 



This picture is a political cartoon showing how the government can really take a lot of our money. Although it is sometimes used for the betterment of the people. 

This video shows and explains the 16th Amendment, how it works and how Congress can set and take taxes. 

Amendment XV

Section 1

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. 

Section 2 

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. 

Amendment 15 talks about equal rights and who can vote. Most notably the right to vote for all, no matter their race or skin color. 



This picture is an example of the 15th Amendment. It shows a black hand casting their vote as a representation of black people now getting the right to vote because of this Amendment.

This video gives us a story behind the 15th Amendment, why it was imposed and lastly what this Amendment means. 

Amendment XIV

Section 1.

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 make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state 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.

Section 2.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.

Section 3.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4.

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5.

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Amendment 14 has five different sections. The first section deals with citizenship and the rights of citizens of the United States and their equal protection rights. The second section talks about those who can hold office. Section three also writes about who can hold office and the rules of who can hold what office. Section four deals with debt of the United States. Lastly, section five writes about the powers of Congress. 

This video talks about the Fourteenth Amendment, and digs more deeply on equal protection. 

This picture shows two people, black and white, marching together for what looks like equality. This picture represents the Fourteenth Amendment and how everybody deserves the same rights. This is especially a huge topic today.

Amendment XIII

Neither slavery nor involuntary solitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

This Amendment was what abolished all slavery in the United States. We have talked about in our class about Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address which only abolished slavery in the Northern states. 




This picture is more of a statement of slave hands breaking free from slavery, which is shown through hands breaking the shackles on their hands.

This video explains more of what happened after the 13th Amendment and how it pertained to former slave's lives.

Amendment XII

The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;--The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;--the person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

The 12th Amendment is very long but kind of fitting as the elections were yesterday as it kind of goes along with elections. However, at this time, there was no president and vice president did not run together and were chosen separately. The big thing was that electors or representatives actually were the ones voting. Because this amendment is so long, I hope these videos help more to explain. 

This video explains the 12th Amendment and briefly explains the electoral college at the time. 

In this video, it talks a little about the elections before the amendment and why the amendment was ratified.