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Chapter Introduction

Section 1: The First Amendment

Section 2: The Bill of Rights

Section 3: Extending the Bill of Rights

Section 4: The Civil Rights Struggle

Visual Summary

Chapter Intro 1

Americans have the right to speak out on issues and make their feelings known. The Bill of Rights—the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—guarantees certain basic rights to all Americans. Among the most important is freedom of speech. It guarantees that people will not be punished for stating their beliefs even if most people disagree with those beliefs.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 1: First Amendment

The Constitution of the United States establishes and protects fundamental rights and liberties. The First Amendment protects five basic freedoms that are essential to the American way of life.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 2: The Bill of Rights

The Constitution of the United States establishes and protects fundamental rights and liberties. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution describe the rights of American citizens.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 3: Extending the Bill of Rights

A constitution reflects the values and goals of the society that creates it. Some Americans have not always enjoyed the full rights of United States citizens.

Chapter Intro 2

Section 4: The Civil Rights Struggle

Political, social, religious, and economic changes influence the way Americans think and act. In the 1950s and 1960s, many African Americans began an organized fight for their rights as citizens.

Section 1-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The Constitution of the United States establishes and protects fundamental rights and liberties.

Section 1-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• civil liberties

• censorship

• petition

• slander

• libel

Academic Vocabulary

• media

• imply

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms

Soon after ratification of the Constitution, the First Amendment was added to guarantee basic freedoms essential to American democracy.

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• The First Amendment guarantees basic freedoms to all United States citizens.

• Protection of civil liberties and basic rights:

– Freedom of religion

– Freedom of speech

– Freedom of the press

– Freedom of assembly

– Freedom to petition

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• Freedom of religion:

– Prohibits Congress from establishing an official religion

– Separates church and state

– People free to practice their faith as they wish

– No specific religion favored by government

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• Freedom of speech:

– Free to say what is on our minds

– Face-to-face discussion, telephone conversations, radio and TV broadcasts

– Internet communication, art, music, clothing also protected

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• Freedom of the press:

– People free to express themselves in print

– Ensures people are exposed to a wide variety of viewpoints

– Prevents government censorship

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• Zenger Case:

– Publisher Peter Zenger arrested for criticizing governor of New York in New-York Weekly Journal.

– Zenger was acquitted.

– Regarded as a landmark in development of free press in America.

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• Freedom of assembly:

– Allows people to gather peacefully in groups

– Implies freedom of association

Section 1

First Amendment Freedoms (cont.)

• Freedom to petition:

– Guarantees people can petition or make a formal request of the government

– Allows people to express their ideas to the government

The First Amendment

Section 1

First Amendment Limits

All constitutional rights are limited. These limitations are necessary to ensure our other rights are protected.

Section 1

First Amendment Limits (cont.)

• The First Amendment guarantees certain rights, but it also places some limits on those rights.

– Civil liberties interfering with the rights of others

– Rights of individuals balanced against the rights of the community

– Personal opinion as opposed to slander or libel

Section 2-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

The Constitution of the United States establishes and protects fundamental rights and liberties.

Section 2-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• search warrant

• indictment

• grand jury

• double jeopardy

• due process

• eminent domain

• bail

Section 2-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Academic Vocabulary

• proportion

• involve

Section 2

Protecting the Rights of the Accused

In addition to the important civil liberties protected by the First Amendment, the other nine amendments in the Bill of Rights guarantee the right to fair legal treatment, as well as other freedoms.

Section 2

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

• Several amendments in the Bill of Rights guarantee fair treatment to people who are suspected or accused of committing a crime.

Rights of the Accused

Section 2

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

• Fourth Amendment:

– No unreasonable searches and seizures

– Search warrant required to search a suspect’s property

Section 2

• Fifth Amendment:

– Indictment by a grand jury required to put someone on trial for a serious federal crime

– Protects against double jeopardy

– People cannot be forced to testify against themselves

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

Section 2

– Guarantees due process

– Limits the government’s power of eminent domain

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

Section 2

• Sixth Amendment:

– Requires the accused to be told exact nature of charges

– Provides right to a trial by jury

– Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

Section 2

– Ensures right to hear and question witnesses

– Assures defense by a lawyer

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

Section 2

• Eighth Amendment:

– Forbids excessive bail

– Forbids excessive fines

– Forbids “cruel and unusual punishments”

– Punishment in proportion to the crime

Protecting the Rights of the Accused (cont.)

Section 2

Other Protections

In addition to the First Amendment freedoms and due process guarantees, the Bill of Rights includes other protections for American citizens.

Section 2

Other Protections (cont.)

• The Bill of Rights assures citizens of other rights.

• Second Amendment:

– Each state maintain a militia

– The right to keep and bear arms

– Government control of the possession of weapons

Section 2

Other Protections (cont.)

• Third Amendment prohibits soldiers moving into private homes without consent during peacetime.

• Seventh Amendment:

– Concerns civil cases

– Provides the right to a jury trial in federal courts

Section 2

• Ninth Amendment:

– All other rights “retained by the people”

– Prevents claim that the only rights people have are listed in the Bill of Rights

Other Protections (cont.)

Section 2

• Tenth Amendment:

– Powers that the Constitution doesn’t give to the national government belong to the states and the people

– Prevents Congress and the president from becoming too strong

Other Protections (cont.)

Section 3-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

A constitution reflects the values and goals of the society that creates it.

Section 3-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• suffrage

• poll tax

Academic Vocabulary

• violate

• specify

Section 3

Civil War Amendments

The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments are called the Civil War amendments because they grew out of that war.

Section 3

Civil War Amendments (cont.)

• After the Civil War, several amendments were ratified that gave rights to formerly enslaved African Americans.

• Thirteenth Amendment:

– Outlawed slavery in the United States

– Outlawed forced labor except as punishment for a crime

Section 3

Civil War Amendments (cont.)

• Fourteenth Amendment:

– Defined who was a United States citizen

– Required states to grant citizens “equal protection of the laws”

– Forbade state governments from interfering with citizen “privileges or immunities”

– Nationalization of the Bill of Rights and the Gitlow v. New York ruling

Section 3

Civil War Amendments (cont.)

• Fifteenth Amendment:

– Guaranteed suffrage to African Americans

– Protected only men

Constitutional Amendments

Section 3

Later Amendments

Amendments added to the Constitution in the twentieth century deal with a wide range of topics.

Section 3

Later Amendments (cont.)

• A number of the amendments to the Constitution in the twentieth century addressed inequalities in voting and elections.

• Seventeenth Amendment:

– Allowed voters to directly elect their senators

– Gave Americans a greater voice in government

Section 3

• Nineteenth Amendment:

– States previously made laws concerning woman suffrage

– Gave women the right to vote in national and state elections

Later Amendments (cont.)

• Twenty-third Amendment gave voting rights to people who live in the District of Columbia.

Section 3

• Twenty-fourth Amendment:

– Trouble with the Fifteenth Amendment

– State poll taxes prevented many African Americans and poor whites from voting

– Outlawed poll taxes in federal elections

Later Amendments (cont.)

• Twenty-sixth Amendment guaranteed citizens 18 and older the right to vote.

• Because of Vietnam

Section 4-Main Idea

Guide to Reading

Big Idea

Political, social, religious, and economic changes influence the way Americans think and act.

Section 4-Key Terms

Guide to Reading

Content Vocabulary

• discrimination

• segregation

• civil rights

• affirmative action

• racial profiling

Academic Vocabulary

• section

• gender

Section 4

Struggle for Rights

Although amendments to the Constitution guaranteed rights to Americans, African Americans and other groups still did not enjoy civil rights.

Section 4

Struggle for Rights (cont.)

• African Americans and others had to struggle against discrimination in order to secure their civil rights.

• Segregation is the social separation of races.

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ruling against segregation

• Rosa Parks and boycott of the Montgomery bus system

Section 4

Struggle for Rights (cont.)

• Martin Luther King, Jr., led nonviolent resistance.

• Demonstrations and sit-ins

• King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is inspirational.

Section 4

• Civil Rights Act of 1964:

– Prohibited discrimination in public facilities, employment, education, and voter registration

– Banned discrimination by race, color, gender, religion, and national origin

Struggle for Rights (cont.)

Section 4

The Struggle Continues

The struggle for equality in America has persisted and has extended to include many groups.

Section 4

The Struggle Continues (cont.)

• The civil rights struggle began with African Americans but has grown to include many different groups.

• Voting Rights Act of 1965:

– Ensured that all citizens would have the opportunity to vote, regardless of race

– Renewed in 2006

Section 4

The Struggle Continues (cont.)

• Affirmative action:

– Designed to make up for past discrimination

– Encouraged hiring and promoting minorities and women

– Considered by critics to discriminate against men and whites

Section 4

The Struggle Continues (cont.)

• Continuing struggles:

– Workplace discrimination

– Racial profiling

– Hate crimes

Landmark Civil Rights Acts

VS 1

Rights of Citizens

The Bill of Rights—the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—guarantees certain basic rights to all Americans. The Bill of Rights ensures constitutional guarantees of

• freedom of expression and belief;

• individual security; and

• equal and fair treatment before the law.

VS 2

Limits on Rights

• An individual’s rights must be balanced with the rights of others and the community’s health and safety.

VS 3

Equality Under the Law

• Limits on rights must be reasonable and apply equally to all.

• This is especially critical in the courtroom, which is where the right to due process comes into play.

• Due process means that government may not act unfairly or arbitrarily but must follow a set of reasonable, fair, and standard procedures.

VS 4

Civil Rights

• Civil rights are the protections granted in the Constitution that recognize all citizens must be treated equally under the law.

• In the United States at one time, there were widespread segregation laws.

• In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court ruled that separate-but-equal facilities were constitutional.

VS 5

Civil Rights (cont.)

• In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the Court ruled for complete desegregation.

• The civil rights movement made possible the passage of legislation guaranteeing basic civil rights for all Americans.

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Figure 4

TIME Trans

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Vocab1

civil liberties 

freedoms to think and act without government interference or fear of unfair legal treatment

Vocab2

censorship 

the banning of printed materials or films due to alarming or offensive ideas

Vocab3

petition 

a formal request for government action; a process by which candidates who are not affiliated with one of the two major parties can get on the ballot for the general election in most states

Vocab4

slander 

spoken untruths that are harmful to someone’s reputation

Vocab5

libel 

written untruths that are harmful to someone’s reputation

Vocab6

media 

a means of communication with large influence

Vocab7

imply 

something suggested rather than directly stated

Vocab8

search warrant 

a court order allowing law enforcement officers to search a suspect’s home or business and take specific items as evidence

Vocab9

indictment 

a formal charge by a grand jury

Vocab10

grand jury 

a group of citizens that decides whether there is sufficient evidence to accuse someone of a crime

Vocab11

double jeopardy 

putting someone on trial for a crime of which he or she was previously acquitted

Vocab12

due process 

following established legal procedures

Vocab13

eminent domain 

the right of government to take private property for public use

Vocab14

bail 

a sum of money used as a security deposit to ensure that an accused person returns for his or her trial

Vocab15

proportion 

the size or amount of something in relation to something else or to a whole

Vocab16

involve 

to take part in or include as a necessary component

Vocab17

suffrage 

the right to vote

Vocab18

poll tax 

a sum of money required of voters before they are permitted to cast a ballot

Vocab19

violate 

to fail to keep or to break, as in a law

Vocab20

specify 

to mention exactly or clearly

Vocab21

discrimination 

unfair treatment based on prejudice against a certain group

Vocab22

segregation 

the social separation of the races

Vocab23

civil rights 

the rights of full citizenship and equality under the law

Vocab24

affirmative action 

programs intended to make up for past discrimination by helping minority groups and women gain access to jobs and opportunities

Vocab25

racial profiling 

singling out an individual as a suspect due to appearance of ethnicity

Vocab26

section 

an area or division

Vocab27

gender

a notation of the sex of a person

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