Portrait of John Tyler, the first vice president to ascend to the presidency after the death of William Henry Harrison, c. 1861. (Library of Congress) Amendment Twenty-five to the Constitution was ratified on February 10, 1967. It established and explained the complete order of presidential succession, as well as a series of contingency plans to … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XXV – “Addressing the Presidential Succession Process”
Political cartoon by Theodor Geisel - better known by his penname "Dr. Seuss" - criticizing poll taxes in American elections, 1942. (Public Domain) Amendment Twenty-four to the Constitution was ratified on January 23, 1964. It abolished and forbids the federal and state governments from imposing taxes on voters during federal elections. The official text is … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XXIV – “Elimination of Poll Taxes”
Official ballot for Washington, D.C. voters in the 1964 presidential election, the first one conducted under the Twenty-third Amendment. (National Museum of American History) Amendment Twenty-three to the Constitution was ratified on March 29, 1961. It gives electors to the District of Columbia - the capital city of the United States - so that it … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XXIII – “Extending the Vote to the District of Columbia”
Color portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had been elected president four times from 1932 to 1944. (Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum) Amendment Twenty-two to the Constitution was ratified on February 27, 1951. It establishes term limits on those elected president, and outlines an accompanying series of stipulations regarding the eligibility of … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XXII – “Term Limits for the Presidency”
Bar patrons in New York City celebrate the Twenty-first Amendment's passage and the subsequent conclusion of the Prohibition Era, 1933. (Getty Images) Amendment Twenty-one to the Constitution was ratified on December 5, 1933. It repealed the previous Eighteenth Amendment which had established a nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol. The official … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XXI – “Repeal of Prohibition”
Portrait of Senator George Norris, the author of the first resolution that ultimately created the Twentieth Amendment, c. 1910. (Public Domain) Amendment Twenty to the Constitution was ratified on January 23, 1933. It changed the original calendar dates for the president and vice president’s terms from March 4 to January 20. For those in Congress, … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XX – “Date Changes for Presidency, Congress, and Succession”
Alice Paul and other suffragettes sewing stars onto the flag of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, c. 1920. (Library of Congress) Amendment 19 to the Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920. It prohibits all levels of government in the United States from restricting the right to vote based on sex, which in so … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XIX – “Votes for Men and Women”
Archived copy of "The New York Times" reporting on the states voting for the Nineteenth Amendment, prompting its formal ratification, 1919. (Public Domain) Amendment Eighteen to the Constitution was ratified on January 16, 1919. Its legal provisions brought about the Prohibition Era of the United States. The official text is written as such: After one … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XVIII – “The Beginning of Prohibition”
Detail of "Puck" cartoon satirizing wealthy figures using their money and influence to take Senatorial positions in Congress, 1890. (Public Domain) Amendment Seventeen to the Constitution was ratified on April 8, 1913. It overrides the previous Constitution’s provisions on the election of senators, changing it so that they are elected directly by the voting public … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XVII – “Direct Election of Senators”
"Puck" political cartoon satirizing Theodore Roosevelt passing his presidential policies to William Howard Taft. As the next president, Taft would continue to advance Roosevelt's progressive angle to political decision making, including income taxes and the future Sixteenth Amendment, 1909. (Public Domain) Amendment Sixteen to the Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1913. It grants Congress … Continue reading “Constitutional Amendments” Series – Amendment XVI – “Income Taxes”
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