4- the first amendment mrs. cox paisley ib magnet civics/economics

4- The First Amendment4- The First Amendment

Mrs. CoxMrs. Cox

Paisley IB MagnetPaisley IB Magnet

Civics/EconomicsCivics/Economics

First Amendment FreedomsFirst Amendment Freedoms

Soon after the Constitution was Soon after the Constitution was ratified, a Bill of Rights was added. ratified, a Bill of Rights was added. These ten amendments guarantee These ten amendments guarantee people’s civil liberties, or their rights people’s civil liberties, or their rights to think and act without fear of the to think and act without fear of the government. The First Amendment government. The First Amendment protects five basic American protects five basic American freedoms.freedoms.


Freedom of religion allows Americans Freedom of religion allows Americans to worship as they choose. Congress to worship as they choose. Congress may not establish a national religion. may not establish a national religion. Also, it may not make laws that Also, it may not make laws that cause people of any religious group cause people of any religious group to be treated differently from those to be treated differently from those of other religious groups.of other religious groups.


Freedom of speech lets Americans Freedom of speech lets Americans express their ideas without fear of express their ideas without fear of punishment by the government.punishment by the government.


Freedom if the press means that Freedom if the press means that Americans may express their ideas in Americans may express their ideas in books, newspapers, magazines, and books, newspapers, magazines, and other forms of media. The other forms of media. The government cannot practice government cannot practice censorship, or ban media that censorship, or ban media that contains information the government contains information the government dislikes or disagrees with.dislikes or disagrees with.


Freedom of assembly lets Americans Freedom of assembly lets Americans join groups or attend meetings, join groups or attend meetings, provided they remain peaceful.provided they remain peaceful.

Freedom to petition the government Freedom to petition the government allows citizens to inform government allows citizens to inform government leaders about their opinions and leaders about their opinions and needs.needs.

First Amendment LimitsFirst Amendment Limits

Although the First Amendment gives Although the First Amendment gives Americans important freedoms, Americans important freedoms, citizens are not free to do or say citizens are not free to do or say whatever they want. The government whatever they want. The government must protect the rights of all must protect the rights of all individuals. Therefore, the individuals. Therefore, the government cannot allow any one government cannot allow any one citizen to do or say something that citizen to do or say something that harms another.harms another.


For example, Americans have the For example, Americans have the freedom of speech and the freedom of freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. These freedoms do not the press. These freedoms do not include lying about other people. include lying about other people. Spreading lies is a crime. If lies are Spreading lies is a crime. If lies are spoken, the crime is called slander. If the spoken, the crime is called slander. If the lies are written, the crime is called libel. lies are written, the crime is called libel. Americans also have the freedom to Americans also have the freedom to petition the government, but they do not petition the government, but they do not have the right to overthrow the have the right to overthrow the government or to encourage riots.government or to encourage riots.


As members of a democracy, As members of a democracy, Americans must use their civil liberties Americans must use their civil liberties responsibly. They means they should responsibly. They means they should not do or say anything that gets in the not do or say anything that gets in the way of the rights of other people. For way of the rights of other people. For example, you may listen to the type of example, you may listen to the type of music you like, but you should not turn music you like, but you should not turn the volume up so loudly that it keeps the volume up so loudly that it keeps your neighbors from sleeping.your neighbors from sleeping.


The rights of one person must be The rights of one person must be balanced against the rights of the balanced against the rights of the community. When these rights community. When these rights conflict with each other, the rights of conflict with each other, the rights of the community often come first.the community often come first.

The Bill of Rights 4-2The Bill of Rights 4-2

The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments guarantee the right to Amendments guarantee the right to fair legal treatment.fair legal treatment.

Thanks to the Fourth Amendment, Thanks to the Fourth Amendment, soldiers, government leaders, and soldiers, government leaders, and police officers cannot search homes, police officers cannot search homes, cars, or other property without a cars, or other property without a search warrant.search warrant.

The Bill of Rights 4-2The Bill of Rights 4-2

The Fifth Amendment guarantees The Fifth Amendment guarantees due process, or the right to expect due process, or the right to expect the government to follow legal the government to follow legal procedures when judging someone’s procedures when judging someone’s guilt or innocence. It also protects guilt or innocence. It also protects people from double jeopardy, which people from double jeopardy, which means being tried more than once means being tried more than once for the same crime.for the same crime.

Protecting the Rights of the Protecting the Rights of the AccusedAccused

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a defense lawyer. It also gives the right to a defense lawyer. It also gives the right to a speedy trial by a jury of peers in right to a speedy trial by a jury of peers in the same place the crime took place. the same place the crime took place.

The Eighth Amendment protects the The Eighth Amendment protects the accused person from unfair amounts of accused person from unfair amounts of bail, or money that a person pays as a bail, or money that a person pays as a promise to return to court for trial. It also promise to return to court for trial. It also protects people convicted of crimes from protects people convicted of crimes from “cruel and unusual punishments.” “cruel and unusual punishments.”

Other ProtectionsOther Protections

Along with various First Amendment Along with various First Amendment freedoms, Americans have other civil freedoms, Americans have other civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

The meaning of the Second Amendment The meaning of the Second Amendment has been debated. Some people think has been debated. Some people think that this amendment guarantees only that this amendment guarantees only that each state can keep a militia, or a that each state can keep a militia, or a small group of volunteer solders.small group of volunteer solders.


Others believe that the amendment Others believe that the amendment means that individual citizens can means that individual citizens can keep and use weapons. In general, keep and use weapons. In general, the courts have ruled that the the courts have ruled that the government can control private government can control private weapons, but not ban them.weapons, but not ban them.


The Third Amendment has little The Third Amendment has little meaning today. However, before the meaning today. However, before the American Revolution, British soldiers American Revolution, British soldiers lived with private citizens. The Third lived with private citizens. The Third Amendment generally bars this Amendment generally bars this practice.practice.


The Seventh Amendment deals with The Seventh Amendment deals with civil lawsuits, or the agreements civil lawsuits, or the agreements among people. As with people among people. As with people charged with crimes people who file charged with crimes people who file lawsuits have the right to a jury trial.lawsuits have the right to a jury trial.


The authors of the Bill of Rights knew The authors of the Bill of Rights knew that it was impossible to list all rights that it was impossible to list all rights of citizens in a single document. For of citizens in a single document. For this reason, they wrote the Ninth this reason, they wrote the Ninth Amendment to remind Americans Amendment to remind Americans that they have rights beyond those that they have rights beyond those listed in the Constitution.listed in the Constitution.


Finally, the Tenth Amendment states Finally, the Tenth Amendment states that any powers not given to the that any powers not given to the national government belong to the national government belong to the states. This rule keeps the national states. This rule keeps the national government from becoming too government from becoming too powerful. powerful.

4-3 Extending the Bill of Rights4-3 Extending the Bill of Rights

Although the Bill of Rights was Although the Bill of Rights was intended to protect civil liberties, it intended to protect civil liberties, it did not do so for all Americans. Three did not do so for all Americans. Three amendments-the Thirteenth, amendments-the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth-grew out of Fourteenth, and Fifteenth-grew out of the Civil War and extended civil the Civil War and extended civil liberties to African Americans.liberties to African Americans.

Civil War AmendmentsCivil War Amendments

The Thirteenth Amendment freed The Thirteenth Amendment freed thousands of African Americans, but it thousands of African Americans, but it did not give them full rights as citizens. did not give them full rights as citizens. Many states in the South passed laws Many states in the South passed laws called “black codes” that stopped called “black codes” that stopped African Americans from exercising civil African Americans from exercising civil liberties. In 1868, the Fourteenth liberties. In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment ended this practice by Amendment ended this practice by defining a citizen as anyone “born or defining a citizen as anyone “born or naturalized in the United States.”naturalized in the United States.”

Later AmendmentsLater Amendments

Although the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, Although the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments played an and Fifteenth Amendments played an important role in extending civil important role in extending civil liberties to all Americans, there was liberties to all Americans, there was still work to be done. Other still work to be done. Other amendments were necessary so that amendments were necessary so that laws applied to all Americans equally.laws applied to all Americans equally.


In 1913, the Seventeenth In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment changed Article I of the Amendment changed Article I of the Constitution. Instead of state Constitution. Instead of state legislatures electing senators, the legislatures electing senators, the voters would elect their senators voters would elect their senators directly. This amendment helped directly. This amendment helped Americans make sure that Americans make sure that government leaders worked on government leaders worked on issues important to the public.issues important to the public.


After the passage of the Fifteenth After the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, women’s voting rights Amendment, women’s voting rights remained a state issue until 1920. remained a state issue until 1920. Thanks to the work of women such Thanks to the work of women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the Nineteenth Cady Stanton, the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteed women the Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote in all national and state right to vote in all national and state elections.elections.


The Twenty-Third Amendment allowed The Twenty-Third Amendment allowed African Americans to vote, many states African Americans to vote, many states started assessing poll taxes, or money started assessing poll taxes, or money that had to be paid in order to vote. that had to be paid in order to vote. People who could not afford these People who could not afford these taxes could not vote. In 1964, however, taxes could not vote. In 1964, however, the Twenty-fourth Amendment the Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed poll taxes in national outlawed poll taxes in national elections. Later, the Supreme Court elections. Later, the Supreme Court ruled that poll taxes were illegal in ruled that poll taxes were illegal in state elections, too.state elections, too.


Some Americans believed that if Some Americans believed that if teenagers could be sent to fight in teenagers could be sent to fight in battle, they should be able to vote battle, they should be able to vote for the leaders, who made the for the leaders, who made the decisions to send them. As a result, decisions to send them. As a result, in 1971, the Twenty-Sixth in 1971, the Twenty-Sixth Amendment changed the voting age Amendment changed the voting age to 18.to 18.

4-4 The Civil Rights Struggle4-4 The Civil Rights Struggle

Although the Civil War amendments Although the Civil War amendments helped provide equal rights to all helped provide equal rights to all Americans, some people continued Americans, some people continued to treat African Americans unjustly. to treat African Americans unjustly. Such mistreatment is called Such mistreatment is called discrimination. Some Southern states discrimination. Some Southern states passed “Jim Crow” laws that passed “Jim Crow” laws that encouraged segregation, or the encouraged segregation, or the separation of people by race. separation of people by race.

The Civil Rights StruggleThe Civil Rights Struggle

Another 100 years passed before Another 100 years passed before African Americans could enjoy their African Americans could enjoy their civil rights of full citizenship and civil rights of full citizenship and equality under the law.equality under the law.

Important gains happened in the Important gains happened in the mid-1900s. In 1948, President mid-1900s. In 1948, President Truman ended segregation in the Truman ended segregation in the armed forces.armed forces.

Struggle for RightsStruggle for Rights

In the 1950s, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., In the 1950s, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., encouraged people such as Rosa Parks to encouraged people such as Rosa Parks to use peaceful demonstrations to protest use peaceful demonstrations to protest discrimination. In 1954, the Supreme Court discrimination. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown V. Board of Education of ruled in Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, that segregation in public Topeka, Kansas, that segregation in public schools was against the Constitution. In schools was against the Constitution. In 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which ended lawful discrimination Act, which ended lawful discrimination based on race, gender, and religion.based on race, gender, and religion.

The Struggle ContinuesThe Struggle Continues

Although the Fifteenth Amendment Although the Fifteenth Amendment had given African American men the had given African American men the right to vote, that vote was not right to vote, that vote was not guaranteed until 1964 when the guaranteed until 1964 when the Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed poll taxes. Then, in 1965, more steps poll taxes. Then, in 1965, more steps were taken to protect voting rights were taken to protect voting rights with the voting rights Act. with the voting rights Act.


Civil Rights laws of the 1960s improved Civil Rights laws of the 1960s improved educational and professional educational and professional opportunities for African Americans and opportunities for African Americans and other minorities.other minorities.

In the 1970s, the federal government In the 1970s, the federal government tried to make up for past discrimination tried to make up for past discrimination through programs known as affirmative through programs known as affirmative action. Such programs encourage action. Such programs encourage businesses and schools to hire, businesses and schools to hire, advance, and accept more women and advance, and accept more women and minorities. minorities.


Some people did not approve of the Some people did not approve of the affirmative action programs. They said affirmative action programs. They said that these programs were unfair to that these programs were unfair to whites and to men. Sometimes the whites and to men. Sometimes the Supreme Court agrees. In 2003, the Supreme Court agrees. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in Gratz v. Supreme Court ruled in Gratz v. Bollinger that the University of Michigan Bollinger that the University of Michigan gave an unfair advantage to minority gave an unfair advantage to minority students who were applying for students who were applying for admission to the school.admission to the school.


Today, the struggle for equal rights Today, the struggle for equal rights continues. Every year, the federal continues. Every year, the federal government gets more than 80,000 government gets more than 80,000 complaints about discrimination in the complaints about discrimination in the workplace. Many Americans are concerned workplace. Many Americans are concerned about racial profiling, a practice in which about racial profiling, a practice in which police single out suspects based on the way police single out suspects based on the way they look. Hate crimes are another problem. they look. Hate crimes are another problem. Sometimes people are attacked and Sometimes people are attacked and harmed because of their race, national harmed because of their race, national origin, gender, or disability.origin, gender, or disability.

4- the first amendment mrs. cox paisley ib magnet civics/economics

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