Amendments to the United States Constitution

Since its ratification, there have been 27 amendments to the United States constitution. The first ten, all ratified on 15 December 1791, are popularly known as the Bill of Rights. Most of the amendments limit the powers of the government, while a few make procedural changes to the basic structures set up in the Constitution.

Article 5 of the constitution sets forth two procedures for proposing and two for ratifying amendments, though only one of each has ever been used: ''The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution ... shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States ...''

The first amendments proposed in Congress were voted on 24 and 25 September 1789, when 12 were sent to the states for ratification. Ten of the twelve were ratified by Virginia, the 11th of the then 14 states, on 15 December 1791, adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. The most recent amendment, the 27th, was proposed at the same time as the ten in the Bill of Rights (along with a twelfth, not yet ratified), but was not ratified at that time; it was ratified by Alabama, the 38th of 50 states to have done so, on 5 May 1992.

The Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments adopted were part of a package introduced into Congress by James Madison in response to anti-federalist criticism of the Constitution and reservations expressed by state legislatures regarding the lack of explicit limits on the powers of the new national government. The Amendments established the following limits on government power:
 * First amendment: Freedom of religion, speech, press, peacable assembly, and petition for redress.
 * Second amendment: Right to bear arms, establish militia.
 * Third amendment: Prohibits quartering soldiers in private homes during peacetime.
 * Fourth amendment: Security of persons and possessions against unreasonable search and siezure, sets limits on search warrants.
 * Fifth amendment: Requires indictment by Grand Jury for capital cases, prohibits double jeopardy and self-incrimination, requires due process for punishment, requires compensation for taking property.
 * Sixth amendment: Right to speedy trial, jury, confront witnesses, compel witnesses, assistance of counsel in criminal cases.
 * Seventh amendment: Right to trial by jury in civil cases over $20, limit on re-examining facts decided by jury.
 * Eighth amendment: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
 * Ninth amendment: