-
a historic English document from 1215 that first established the principle that everyone, including the king, is subject to the law, limiting royal power and guaranteeing rights like due process and fair trial, profoundly influencing democracy, the U.S. Constitution, and human rights globally -
a 1620 agreement signed by 41 male Pilgrims and others aboard the Mayflower, establishing a temporary self-governing body for their Plymouth Colony in the New World, creating laws for the "general good," and promising obedience to those laws, setting a precedent for democratic rule by consent of the governed -
an announcement by the 13 American colonies to Great Britain that they were severing political ties and becoming a new, independent nation -
the fundamental framework for the United States government, drafted by delegates at the Constitutional Convention to replace the weak Articles of Confederation -
individual's right to keep and bear arms -
refers to the first American political rivalry between the Federalist Party (led by Hamilton/Adams, favoring strong central government, business, Britain) and the Democratic-Republicans -
It guarantees criminal defendants a range of rights, including the right to a speedy and public trial, an impartial jury, and legal counsel. It also gives the accused the right to be informed of the charges against them and to confront and compel witnesses in their favor. -
the first ten amendments added to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on December 15, 1791, to guarantee fundamental individual freedoms (like speech, religion, press) and limit the new federal government's power, addressing Anti-Federalist concerns about central authority and securing rights like due process, fair trials, and protection from unreasonable searches -
prohibits the forced quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent. -
that protects five fundamental freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. -
protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. -
several protections against governmental abuse of criminal law, including the right to a grand jury indictment, protection against double jeopardy, the right to due process, protection against self-incrimination, and the requirement for just compensation for private property taken for public use. -
right to a jury trial in certain civil cases in federal courts -
prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. -
It states that any powers not specifically given to the federal government, nor withheld from the states, are reserved to the states or the people. -
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people -
protects states from being sued in federal court by citizens of other states or foreign countries -
from acute epiglottitis or a similar throat infection. After riding in cold, wet weather, he fell ill and his condition rapidly worsened. -
established the principle of judicial review, which is the power of federal courts to declare laws unconstitutional -
protects states from being sued in federal court by citizens of other states or foreign countries -
Supreme Court case that affirmed the constitutionality of the First and Second Bank of the United States and established that states cannot tax federal institutions. -
U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be citizens and had no right to sue in federal court -
abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime for which a person has been convicted -
the turbulent era after the U.S. Civil War focused on rebuilding the South, integrating 4 million newly freed African Americans into society, and readmitting Confederate states to the Union -
abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime for which a person has been convicted -
denying any citizen the right to vote based on their race, color, or previous condition of servitude -
a landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation laws, establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine, which declared that segregated public facilities for Black and white people were constitutional as long as they were equal -
was a period of significant social, political, and economic reform in the U.S., driven by a belief in using government and science to solve problems from industrialization, urban poverty, and corruption, leading to major changes like women's suffrage, consumer protection -
banning the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes. -
grants Congress the power to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states based on population -
for the direct election of U.S. senators by the people of their home states -
prohibits states and the federal government from denying citizens the right to vote based on sex -
a period of severe dust storms that occurred in the 1930s across the U.S. Great Plains, caused by a combination of severe drought and over-farming practices. This man-made ecological disaster ruined agriculture, led to widespread economic hardship, and forced millions to migrate from the affected states, primarily to California -
prohibits states and the federal government from denying citizens the right to vote based on sex -
a severe, worldwide economic downturn in the 1930s, starting with the 1929 U.S. stock market crash, causing mass unemployment (peaking over 25%), widespread bank failures, deflation, and collapse of industries, leading to immense hardship, poverty, and the rise of government intervention programs like President Roosevelt's New Deal for recovery, with its effects lingering until World War II -
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice -
a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional -
grants Washington D.C. residents the right to vote in presidential elections by giving the District a number of electors for the Electoral College, as if it were a state, but no more than the least populous state. -
1964 Supreme Court case that established the "actual malice" standard, protecting the press from libel suits unless a statement is published with "knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not" -
U.S. Supreme Court case that established the right to legal counsel for indigent (poor) defendants in felony criminal cases in state courts, ruling that states must provide lawyers for those who can't afford them, ensuring a fair trial under the Sixth Amendment. -
was assassinated while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, -
that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, ending segregation in public places (like restaurants, hotels, schools) and banning discriminatory practices in employment and voting, establishing the EEOC to enforce these rules, and prohibiting federal funds for discriminatory programs -
States Constitution prohibits both Congress and the states from requiring the payment of a poll tax or any other tax to vote in federal elections. -
landmark U.S. legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices, like literacy tests and poll taxes, which had historically disenfranchised African Americans and minorities, enabling the federal government to oversee voter registration and election rules in areas with a history of discrimination, dramatically increasing minority participation in elections -
clarifies presidential succession and disability -
Supreme Court case that established the requirement for law enforcement to inform suspects of their constitutional rights before custodial interrogation. The ruling mandates that suspects be read the Miranda warning, which includes the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. -
by a single shot fired from a boarding house window while he was standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. -
states that citizens 18 years or older cannot be denied the right to vote based on their age. -
prevents members of Congress from raising their own pay until after the next election has taken place -
2015 U.S. Supreme Court case that held that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees the right to marry for same-sex couples. The decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, required all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states