The 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution
27 amendments. The first ten, the Bill of Rights, were ratified together in 1791. The years are the years each was ratified; the 27th was proposed in 1789 with the Bill of Rights but not ratified until 1992. The summaries are short and in plain words; the full text is at the National Archives.
The amendments are the changes and additions the country has made to its Constitution since 1787. Knowing them by number makes news, history and civics lessons easier to follow, since people often name a right by its amendment.
Chunk by era. The ten amendments of the Bill of Rights come first, learned five at a time. Then come the early fixes (11 and 12), the three Reconstruction amendments after the Civil War (13, 14 and 15), the four of the Progressive Era (16 to 19), and the rest in small groups. Use a number-shape or number-rhyme peg for each: one is a lone speaker at a microphone, three is a crowded house, five is a hand raised to say no. Recall the number from the summary and the summary from the number, then come back on day 1, 3, 7 and 21.
Encode make it vivid → Space bring it back on day 1, 3, 7, 21 → Retrieve pull it from your head. From the infographic Remember It on Purpose.
The 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution
| No. | Amendment | In plain words | Ratified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition | Congress may not set up an official religion or stop people from practicing their faith, and may not limit freedom of speech or of the press, the right to gather peacefully, or the right to petition the government. | 1791 |
| 2 | Right to keep and bear arms | Begins by naming a well-regulated militia as necessary to a free state, and says the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. | 1791 |
| 3 | No quartering of soldiers | In peacetime, soldiers may not be housed in a home without the owner's consent; in wartime, only as the law directs. | 1791 |
| 4 | No unreasonable searches and seizures | People, homes, papers and belongings are protected from unreasonable searches and seizures; a warrant needs probable cause and must describe what is to be searched. | 1791 |
| 5 | Rights of people accused of crimes | A grand jury for serious federal charges; no trial twice for the same crime; no one forced to be a witness against themselves; due process of law; fair payment when the government takes property. | 1791 |
| 6 | Rights in criminal trials | A speedy and public trial by an impartial jury, the right to be told the charges, to face and call witnesses, and to have a lawyer. | 1791 |
| 7 | Jury trials in civil cases | A jury in federal civil lawsuits over more than twenty dollars, and facts found by a jury are not re-examined except under the rules of common law. | 1791 |
| 8 | No excessive bail or cruel and unusual punishment | No excessive bail, no excessive fines, and no cruel and unusual punishments. | 1791 |
| 9 | Rights kept by the people | Listing some rights in the Constitution does not mean the people have no others. | 1791 |
| 10 | Powers kept by the states and the people | Powers the Constitution does not give to the federal government, and does not forbid to the states, belong to the states or to the people. | 1791 |
| 11 | Lawsuits against states | Federal courts may not hear lawsuits against a state brought by citizens of another state or of a foreign country. | 1795 |
| 12 | Separate electoral votes for President and Vice President | Members of the Electoral College cast one vote for President and a separate vote for Vice President. | 1804 |
| 13 | Abolition of slavery | Slavery and forced labor are abolished, except as punishment for a crime. | 1865 |
| 14 | Citizenship, due process and equal protection | All people born or naturalized in the United States are citizens; no state may deny any person due process of law or the equal protection of the laws. It also changed how House seats are counted. | 1868 |
| 15 | Voting rights regardless of race | The right to vote may not be denied because of race, color or having once been enslaved. | 1870 |
| 16 | Federal income tax | Congress may tax incomes without dividing the tax among the states by population. | 1913 |
| 17 | Direct election of senators | Senators are elected by the voters of each state, not chosen by state legislatures. | 1913 |
| 18 | Prohibition of alcohol | Banned making, selling and transporting alcoholic drinks. Repealed by the 21st Amendment. | 1919 |
| 19 | Women's right to vote | The right to vote may not be denied because of sex. | 1920 |
| 20 | Start dates of terms; the "Lame Duck" amendment | The terms of the President and Vice President begin on January 20, and those of Congress on January 3; it also says what happens if a President-elect dies. | 1933 |
| 21 | Repeal of Prohibition | Repealed the 18th Amendment. It is the only amendment ratified by state conventions instead of state legislatures. | 1933 |
| 22 | Two-term limit for the President | No one may be elected President more than twice. | 1951 |
| 23 | Electoral votes for Washington, D.C. | The District of Columbia gets electors in presidential elections, no more than the least populous state (three). | 1961 |
| 24 | No poll taxes | No one may be required to pay a poll tax or any other tax to vote in a federal election. | 1964 |
| 25 | Presidential disability and succession | The Vice President becomes President if the President dies, resigns or is removed; how to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency; and how the Vice President can act as President when the President is unable to serve. | 1967 |
| 26 | Voting age of 18 | Citizens 18 years old or older may not be denied the vote because of age. | 1971 |
| 27 | Congressional pay changes | A law changing the pay of members of Congress takes effect only after the next House election. | 1992 |
Chunk by era. The ten amendments of the Bill of Rights come first, learned five at a time. Then come the early fixes (11 and 12), the three Reconstruction amendments after the Civil War (13, 14 and 15), the four of the Progressive Era (16 to 19), and the rest in small groups. Use a number-shape or number-rhyme peg for each: one is a lone speaker at a microphone, three is a crowded house, five is a hand raised to say no. Recall the number from the summary and the summary from the number, then come back on day 1, 3, 7 and 21. · teddyrookbook.com/memory/challenges/constitution-amendments/
Sources
- National Archives: The Bill of Rights, a transcription
- National Archives: The Constitution, Amendments 11 to 27
- National Archives: The Constitution of the United States, a transcription
- Teddy Rook Book civics kit: the amendments (years and summaries)
Checked October 31, 2026. Progress is kept on this device only (per learner). More lists: all memory challenges · memory games.