Review Blitz US History Since 1877: U.S. Constitutional Amendments

In this History Chat Review Blitz, students review all 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, a key topic that connects foundational principles to Post-1877 U.S. History. This episode provides a clear and organized overview of how constitutional amendments have expanded rights and shaped the structure of American government over time. 

Listeners will begin with the Bill of Rights, exploring the first 10 amendments that protect essential freedoms such as speech, religion, and due process. The episode then covers amendments related to government structure and elections, including changes to the Electoral College.

Students will also examine the Reconstruction Amendments, which abolished slavery, established citizenship, and protected voting rights, as well as the Progressive Era Amendments, which expanded democracy through income tax, direct election of senators, and women’s suffrage.

In addition, the episode explains later amendments that limit presidential terms, expand voting access, and clarify succession and government processes.

This episode serves as a concise overview—not a deep dive—helping students organize essential knowledge and prepare for STAAR or AP U.S. History success.

Listen, review, and master the amendments that define American rights and government today!

 Want more resources like this? Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store, Lawshe Education, by Clicking Here, for ready-to-use lessons, review activities, and standards-aligned materials. 

Transcript

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Hey everyone, and welcome back to the History Chat. I'm your host, Miss Lalshi Mullen. If you're new to the podcast, this show is for history lovers, but this series is designed for a review and quick understanding of US history. This is especially helpful if you're preparing for the AP US history exam, the US History Star Test, or any US history exam focused on US history since 1877. Today we're going to break down all 27 amendments to the Constitution. Don't worry, we're not just listing them. We're grouping them so they actually make sense. Let's start with the Bill of Rights. These were added in 1791 to protect individual freedoms. The First Amendment, this is a huge one. It protects religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. If you remember anything, remember this one. The Second Amendment, this protects the right to bear arms. It's one of the most debated amendments today. The Third Amendment, this says soldiers cannot be forced into your home during peacetime, no quartering of soldiers. This came from colonial complaints against Britain. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures. Police need a warrant and probable costs. The Fifth Amendment, this one has several protections, due process, no double jeopardy, no self incrimination, and property cannot be taken without compensation, or imminent domain. The Sixth Amendment, rights of the accused, speedy trial, public trial, jury, lawyer, know the charges, confront witnesses, and know the evidence. Seventh Amendment, right to a jury trial in civil cases. Eighth Amendment, no excessive fines or bail, and no cruel or unusual punishment. Ninth Amendment, people have rights not listed in the Constitution. Just because it's not listed doesn't mean they don't have it, for example, the right to privacy. Tenth Amendment, powers not given to the federal government go to the state or the people. This is part of federalism. The next two amendments deal with how the government and elections work. The Eleventh Amendment limits the ability of people to sue states in federal court. It was added after a Supreme Court case raised concerns that states could be dragged into lawsuits too easily. This amendment protects state sovereignty. The Twelfth Amendment changed the way the Electoral College works. Originally, electors cast votes without separating the vote for president and vice president. That caused problems. So the Twelfth Amendment required electors to cast separate votes for president and vice president. This made presidential elections work more clearly. The Reconstruction Amendments were thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. These amendments came after the Civil War during the Reconstruction era and are some of the most important in U.S. history. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and indentured servitude in the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States. It guarantees equal protection under the law and due process. This amendment became the foundation for many civil rights court cases. The Fifteenth Amendment says the right to vote cannot be denied because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This was meant to protect African American voting rights after the Civil War. The Progressive Era amendments are 16, 17, 18, and 19. These amendments reflect government reforms from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The 16th Amendment allows the federal government to collect income tax. This gave the government a more reliable source of revenue. The Seventeenth Amendment established the direct election of senators. Before this, senators were chosen by state legislatures. After this amendment, voters elected them directly. The eighteenth amendment banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. This started prohibition. The nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote. This was a major victory for the women's suffrage movement. Amendments twenty, twenty one, and twenty two address government processes and prohibition. These amendments deal with the transition in government and presidential limits. The twentieth Amendment changed the dates when the president and members of Congress take office. This shortened the time between election day and the start of their terms. The Twenty First Amendment repealed prohibition. It canceled the eighteenth amendment. This is the only amendment that repeals another amendment. The Twenty Second Amendment limits presidents to two terms in office. This rule was created after Franklin Roosevelt served four terms. The remaining amendments expand rights and clarify the role of government. The Twenty third Amendment gave residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. The 24th Amendment banned poll taxes in federal elections. This helped protect voting rights, especially in the South. The Twenty Fifth Amendment explains what happens if a president dies, resigns, or becomes unable to serve. It also explains how the vice president takes over. The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This happened during the Vietnam War when many argued that if people were old enough to fight, they were old enough to vote. The 27th Amendment says Congress cannot raise its own salary until after the next election. This prevents lawmakers from giving themselves an immediate pay raise. Let's quickly review the groups. The Bill of Rights addresses individual freedoms. 11 and 12 address core power and election changes. Reconstruction amendments address issues regarding slavery, citizenship, and voting rights. Progressive era amendments addressed taxes, senators, prohibition, and women's suffrage. Amendments 20 through 27 addressed government processes, presidential limits, voting rights, and just in general fairness. When you group them this way, they're much easier to remember. And that's a wrap for this episode of the History Chat. Now you've reviewed all 27 amendments and how they fit into you with history. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, follow, leave a review, and share with someone who loves history. And if you're a teacher, check the episode description for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. You can also visit historychathub.com for more resources. Thanks again for listening. I'm Miss La Schimolin, and this has been the History Chat.