The 27 amendments to the United States Constitution can be categorized into three major groups:
1) Civil Rights and Liberties Amendments:
- 1st Amendment: Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.
- 2nd Amendment: Right to bear arms.
- 3rd Amendment: Protection against quartering troops in private homes.
- 4th Amendment: Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
- 5th Amendment: Protection of rights to life, liberty, and property, and protection against self-incrimination.
- 6th Amendment: Right to a fair trial, including the right to a speedy and public trial, and the right to confront witnesses.
- 7th Amendment: Right to a trial by jury in civil cases.
- 8th Amendment: Protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
- 9th Amendment: Protection of rights not specifically listed in the Constitution.
- 10th Amendment: Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved for the states.
2) Expansion of Suffrage Amendments:
- 15th Amendment: Prohibition of the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
- 19th Amendment: Prohibition of the denial of the right to vote based on sex.
- 23rd Amendment: Granting residents of Washington D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections.
- 24th Amendment: Prohibition of the use of poll taxes as a requirement for voting.
- 26th Amendment: Lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
3) Procedural Amendments and Changes to Government Structure:
- 11th Amendment: Limitation on lawsuits against states.
- 12th Amendment: Procedure for electing the President and Vice President.
- 13th Amendment: Abolition of slavery.
- 14th Amendment: Equal protection under the law for all citizens, and due process rights.
- 16th Amendment: Authorization for federal income tax.
- 17th Amendment: Direct election of Senators by the people.
- 18th Amendment: Prohibition of the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages (repealed by the 21st Amendment).
- 20th Amendment: Changes to the dates of the presidential and congressional terms.
- 21st Amendment: Repeal of Prohibition (18th Amendment).
- 22nd Amendment: Limitation on presidential terms to two terms or a maximum of ten years.
- 25th Amendment: Procedures for succession to the presidency and for filling vice presidential vacancies.
- 27th Amendment: Regulation of congressional salaries.
These groupings may not be exhaustive, and some amendments may overlap or have elements that can fit into multiple categories.
Categorize the 27
Amendments into three major groups
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