Click image to enlarge.
The process of making new rules was crucial to the Revolutionary struggle. Many scholars think it was the most distinctive and important aspect of the Revolution. Making new rules and new organizations of government began very early in the resistance movement. In fact, the development of new political organizations preceded the war and played a central role in making the Revolution happen when and how it did.
The framers of the Constitution understood that the document might need to be changed overtime to adjust to a growing nation. For this reason, they created Article V, which allows the Constitution to be amended or changed. That way it can continue to represent all citizens fairly. It is not easy to amend the Constitution. Article V of the Constitution talks about two ways to amend it. Click on the images in the table to learn more.
 Congress
|
The first way is through Congress. Two-thirds of the members of Congress must agree to the amendment. Once they agree, then the proposed amendment is sent to the states to be ratified (approved). In order for the amendment proposed by Congress to be ratified, three-fourths of the states have to ratify it. That is 38 out of 50 states that have to approve the amendment. |
 Constitutional Convention
|
The second way to amend the Constitution is for the states to call a Constitutional Convention. Two-thirds of the states can propose an amendment. That is 34 out of 50 states. When they do this, they are asking Congress to call a Constitutional Convention to meet and propose the amendment. At the convention, the states need to get 38 states out of 50 (three-fourths) to approve the amendment. |
So far, all of the amendments to the Constitution have been done through Congress. The second method has yet to be used. Not very long after the Constitution was ratified, the Bill of Rights was created to address the rights of U.S. citizens. The Bill of Rights is made up of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. In this lesson, you will look again at those important amendments and try to determine what they really mean to Americans today.
What is the purpose of amending the U.S. Constitution?
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| Amending the Constitution allows for the Constitution to be changed when needed to ensure that it continues to represent all citizens fairly. | |
