Presentazione Storica

constitution

the us

Coppeta G.N., Muto N., Lanzano C., Barracore D., Ariemma G., Del Papato A.

index

1. What is it?

2. When is it born?

3. I amendment

4. VII amendment

5. XIII amendment

6. XV amendment

7. XVIII & XXI amendment

8. XIX amendment

Article III - Judicial Branch: Establishes the Supreme Court and authorizes Congress to create lower courts. This branch interprets laws and ensures they follow the Constitution, with the Supreme Court able to declare laws unconstitutional.

Article II - Executive Branch: Defines the powers of the President and Vice President, who enforce the laws, serve as Commander-in-Chief, negotiate treaties (with Senate approval), and appoint officials and judges.

Article I - Legislative Branch: Establishes Congress, which is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. It grants Congress the power to make laws, levy taxes, declare war, and regulate commerce.

The Constitution can be changed through amendments. There are currently 27 amendments, including those in the Bill of Rights. Later amendments added more rights, like the right to vote.The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. These protect basic freedoms like freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial. The Constitution creates a federal system, meaning that power is shared between the national government and the state governments. The national government has certain powers, while others are left to the states. Overall, the U.S. Constitution is an agreement between the government and the people, and it serves as a guide for American democracy and law. It’s a living document that can be interpreted and changed as needed.

WHAT IS it?

The United States Constitution is the main document that sets up the government of the United States. It was created in 1787 and started working in 1789. It's the oldest written constitution still in use today, and many other countries have used it as a model.The first three articles of the U.S. Constitution outline the structure and powers of the three main branches of the federal government:

None of these three institutions may be dissolved or cancelled by the others, but they may exercise control over the activities of the others. In March 1789 the Constitution came into force, after it was recognized by every state, and George Washington was elected as President of the USA.

WHEN IS it born?

Immediately after the proclamation of independence in 1776, the thirteen American colonies had become autonomous states. Each state had its own constitution, which recognized as a form of government the Republic based on.An elected parliament, governed by different electoral laws from state to state (usually the right to vote was only for the richest), while relations between all states were regulated by a congress. However, in 1787 the delegates of the States, meeting in Philadelphia in a Convention, made the Constitution. According to the Constitution, the new state was to be based on the separation of powers. Congress had the legislative power, the President the executive and the Supreme Court the judicial.

I find that the First Amendment represents an extraordinary ideal of freedom and dialogue. It allows society to grow and change thanks to free confrontation and dissent, but it also requires respect and responsibility. In a complex era, I think it reminds us of the importance of balancing our rights with respect for others.

I AMENDMENT

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791, guarantees five fundamental freedoms:

• religion;
• speech;
• press;
• peaceful assembly;
• petition to the government.

It protects citizens from government interference in these areas, allowing free expression and democratic control of power.Although it is fundamental to American democracy, it is not absolute: there are limits, for example, for speeches that incite violence.

''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."

VII AMENDMENT

The Seventh Amendment underscores the importance of jury trials as a fundamental part of the American justice system, even in civil cases. It reflects a deep trust in ordinary citizens to weigh facts fairly and act as a check on judicial power. This balance helps ensure that legal decisions are grounded not only in law but also in the common sense and values of the community.

The Seventh Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees two fundamental principles in civil cases:

• Right to a Jury Trial: In civil disputes (common law cases) involving an amount greater than twenty dollars, the parties involved have the right to be judged by a jury. This is different from criminal cases, where the right to a jury trial is already protected by another amendment.
• Limitations on Re-examining Jury Decisions: Once the jury has rendered a verdict on specific facts of the case, those decisions cannot be re-examined or overturned by other federal courts, unless the rules of common law are followed. This means that judges cannot intervene to change the jury’s judgment, except in some procedural exceptions.

In essence, the Seventh Amendment protects the role of the jury in civil cases and limits the courts’ ability to alter decisions made by a jury regarding the facts of the case.

"In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law"

The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Amendment XIII) officially abolished and continues to prohibit slavery, and, with limited exceptions for those convicted of certain crimes, it also prohibits forced labor.However, this amendment led to an increase in the arrests of Black individuals, who were convicted even for minor offenses and then forced to work in conditions similar to slavery. These individuals were kept in overcrowded prisons, where conditions were often terrible. In my opinion, the intent of this amendment—to end slavery—is good, but it was carried out in a flawed way.

XIII AMENDMENT

''Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

"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 power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

XV AMENDMENT

I believe the Fifteenth Amendment was crucial for racial equality, although its effectiveness was weakened for years by discriminatory practices. It shows how important it is to actively enforce legal rights to truly make a difference.

The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibits the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, aiming to secure African Americans' right to vote after the Civil War. While it marked a significant step in civil rights, discriminatory practices like literacy tests and poll taxes restricted its effectiveness for many years, particularly in Southern states. This amendment highlights both the progress made and the ongoing need to actively enforce and protect equal voting rights.

I think the 19th Amendment was a great step forward for women’s rights and also made democracy more inclusive

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution of United States, promulgated on 18 August 1920, forbids the States to deny voting rights to citizens on the basis of gender, recognizing women’s right to vote. The Seneca Falls conference, the first convention on women’s rights in 1848, represent the beginning of the feminist battle in the USA. The right to vote for women was one of the topics discussed at the conference. The amendment for the recognition of women’s suffrage was first proposed to the US Congress in 1878, but it was not passed. Access to the vote for all women was not immediate. In practice, many African American, Native and other minority women continued to suffer discrimination and voting restrictions until the 1965, when the Voting Rights Act abolished discriminatory restrictions.

XIX AMENDMENT

I think that Amendment 21 has a negative and a positive side:

• alcohol leads to social problems and reducing its production and sale is useful to avoid them;
• alcohol is not only a bad thing if used responsibly and in moderate quantities.

Prohibiting its production and sale has only increased smuggling, therefore the sale of 'unsafe' alcohol like that found in supermarkets. In the end, it was not a bad thing to abolish Amendment 18.

Amendments 18 and 21 of the U.S. Constitution address Prohibition, the period when alcohol production, sale, and transport were banned nationwide.

• Amendment 18, enacted in 1920, aimed to reduce social issues like crime and domestic violence associated with alcohol but instead led to black-market activities and organized crime.
• Thirteen years later, Amendment 21 repealed Amendment 18, making it the only amendment to overturn a prior one.

This restored regulated alcohol consumption, allowing states to set their own restrictions.

XVIII & XXI AMENDMENT

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Do you have an idea?

With Genially templates you can include visual resources to leave your audience speechless. Also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience and even embed surprising external content: videos, photos, audios... Whatever you want! Need more reasons to create dynamic content? Well: 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sight and, furthermore, we retain 42% more information when thecontent moves.

Do you have an idea?

With Genially templates you can include visual resources to leave your audience speechless. Also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience and even embed surprising external content: videos, photos, audios... Whatever you want! Need more reasons to create dynamic content? Well: 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sight and, furthermore, we retain 42% more information when thecontent moves.

Do you have an idea?

With Genially templates you can include visual resources to leave your audience speechless. Also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience and even embed surprising external content: videos, photos, audios... Whatever you want! Need more reasons to create dynamic content? Well: 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sight and, furthermore, we retain 42% more information when thecontent moves.

Do you have an idea?

With Genially templates you can include visual resources to leave your audience speechless. Also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience and even embed surprising external content: videos, photos, audios... Whatever you want! Need more reasons to create dynamic content? Well: 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sight and, furthermore, we retain 42% more information when thecontent moves.