Geography and civics · 34 cards · sources listed below

Constitutional Amendments Flashcards, From the Preamble to the 27th

This starter set covers the six purposes in the Preamble, the three branches, the ten Bill of Rights amendments, and the later amendments 11 to 27 with the year each was ratified. It is built for civics and US government classes. It does not include case law or the full text of the document.

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Free Constitution and Amendments flashcards: 34-card starter set

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Preamble and structure (6)

What six purposes does the Preamble list?

Form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.

What does separation of powers mean?

Government power is divided among three branches so no one holds all of it: legislative (Congress), executive (President) and judicial (courts).

Which Article creates Congress, the President and the Supreme Court?

Article I creates Congress, Article II the presidency, and Article III the Supreme Court and federal courts.

How is the Constitution amended?

Congress proposes by a two-thirds vote in both houses (or a convention requested by two-thirds of state legislatures), and three-fourths of states must ratify.

What is a system of checks and balances?

Each branch can limit the others, for example the President vetoes bills, Congress can override a veto, and courts can review laws.

What is federalism?

Power is divided between the national government and the states.

The Bill of Rights (1-10), ratified 1791 (11)

When were the first ten amendments ratified?

December 15, 1791. Together they are the Bill of Rights.

What does the 1st Amendment protect?

Freedom of religion, speech and the press, the right to assemble peacefully, and the right to petition the government.

What does the 2nd Amendment protect?

The right to keep and bear arms, linked to a well-regulated militia.

What does the 3rd Amendment prohibit?

Forcing people to house soldiers in peacetime without the owner's consent.

What does the 4th Amendment protect against?

Unreasonable searches and seizures. Warrants need probable cause and a description of what is to be searched or seized.

What rights does the 5th Amendment include?

Grand jury indictment for serious crimes, no double jeopardy, no forced self-incrimination, due process, and just compensation for taken property.

What does the 6th Amendment guarantee?

In criminal cases: a speedy, public trial by an impartial jury, notice of charges, confronting witnesses, and a lawyer.

What does the 7th Amendment guarantee?

The right to a jury trial in certain civil cases.

What does the 8th Amendment prohibit?

Excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments.

What is the 9th Amendment?

Listing certain rights in the Constitution does not mean people lack other rights.

What is the 10th Amendment?

Powers not given to the federal government, nor denied to the states, belong to the states or the people.

Amendments 11-19 (9)

What does the 11th Amendment (1795) do?

Limits federal courts from hearing suits against a state brought by citizens of another state or a foreign country.

What does the 12th Amendment (1804) change?

Electors cast separate ballots for President and Vice President.

What does the 13th Amendment (1865) do?

Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

What does the 14th Amendment (1868) establish?

Defines citizenship and requires states to give due process and equal protection of the laws.

What does the 15th Amendment (1870) prohibit?

Denying the right to vote based on race, color or previous servitude.

What does the 16th Amendment (1913) allow?

Congress may levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states.

What does the 17th Amendment (1913) change?

US senators are elected directly by voters instead of state legislatures.

What did the 18th Amendment (1919) do?

Prohibited making, selling and transporting alcohol (Prohibition). The 21st Amendment repealed it.

What does the 19th Amendment (1920) guarantee?

The right to vote cannot be denied because of sex.

Amendments 20-27 (8)

What does the 20th Amendment (1933) change?

Moves the start of presidential and congressional terms (to January 20 and January 3) and addresses presidential succession gaps.

What does the 21st Amendment (1933) do?

Repeals the 18th Amendment, ending national Prohibition.

What does the 22nd Amendment (1951) limit?

A president may be elected to no more than two terms.

What does the 23rd Amendment (1961) give?

Washington, D.C. electors in presidential elections.

What does the 24th Amendment (1964) ban?

Poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections.

What does the 25th Amendment (1967) cover?

Presidential succession, filling vice presidential vacancies, and presidential disability.

What does the 26th Amendment (1971) set?

The voting age at 18.

Which amendment was ratified in 1992 after being proposed in 1789?

The 27th Amendment: a change in congressional pay takes effect only after the next House election.

What this set covers

Covered

Preamble, separation of powers, amendment process, Amendments 1-27

Not covered

Supreme Court cases, full constitutional text and state constitutions

Best used for

US government, civics and citizenship study

Format

Independent study aid; ratification dates checked against the National Archives

How to study this set

Learn the Bill of Rights as a numbered list first, then attach the later amendments to years.

1
Day 1
Recite the Preamble purposes from memory, then learn the three branches and which Article creates each.
2
Days 2-3
Master amendments 1 to 10: say the number, then the protection, then give a real-life example.
3
Week 2
Study amendments 11 to 27 with their years, grouping them by theme: voting, elections, civil rights and succession.
4
Before the test
Write all 27 numbers with a five-word summary each from memory, then correct them against the deck.

Spaced repetition schedules each card to come back just before you would forget it, so reviews get shorter as your recall gets stronger. Cards you miss come back sooner.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mixing up the 4th, 5th and 6th

The 4th is about searches, the 5th about self-incrimination and due process, and the 6th about the trial itself. Link each to the stage of a criminal case.

Confusing the 13th, 14th and 15th

They are the Reconstruction amendments: abolish slavery (13th), citizenship and equal protection (14th), voting regardless of race (15th).

Mixing the voting amendments

The 15th is race, the 19th is sex, the 24th is poll taxes and the 26th is age 18. Learn them together as a set.

Mistaking ratification for proposal

The 27th was proposed in 1789 but only ratified in 1992. Remember ratification years, not proposal years.

Make your own from your notes

A starter set is a head start, not your whole course. Your class notes, slides and textbook are what your teacher actually tests, so turn them into cards too.

Put the amendment number on the front and the protection on the back, then make a second card the other way round.
Add one short real-life example per amendment in your own words to deepen understanding.
Paste your textbook chapter or notes on a specific Supreme Court case to make a separate case deck.
Keep one idea per card; do not copy the whole amendment text onto a card.

Generate cards from a topic or notes Turn a PDF into flashcards

Constitution and Amendments flashcards: questions

How many amendments are there?

There are 27 amendments. The first ten form the Bill of Rights, ratified together in 1791.

Does this set include the full text?

No. It gives short summaries in plain language. For the exact wording, read the National Archives transcript linked below.

What is the difference between proposing and ratifying an amendment?

Congress (or a convention called by the states) proposes an amendment. It only becomes part of the Constitution after three-fourths of the states ratify it.

Which amendments are most often tested?

Usually the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th and 26th. Check your teacher's list to be sure.

Is the 18th Amendment still in force?

No. It was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933, the only amendment that repealed another.

Sources and review

These cards are an independent study aid, not official exam content, and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam body or publisher. They were written by hand and checked against the sources below on 2026-10-17. Always confirm details with your course materials and the current official documents.

National Archives: Bill of Rights transcript — Checked the December 15, 1791 ratification date and Bill of Rights wording; card summaries are paraphrased.
National Archives: Amendments 11-27 — Ratification years for amendments 11 to 27 were checked against this page.
National Archives: Constitution transcript — Source for the Preamble, the Articles and the Article V amendment process.

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