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In 1791, the Constitution was amended to include ten amendments,
which are commonly referred to as The Bill of Rights.
These were the guarantees of individual liberty upon which critics
of the Constitution had insisted.
But
changing times raise changing questions. What of black rights
- the right of former slaves to vote? And do women not share
in that privilege? How many terms may a president serve? Throughout
the
Civil War, the Great Depression and two world
wars, these and other issues were resolved through amendments
to the Constitution. To date, 16 additional amendments have
updated the Constitution.
Each
of the 26 amendments is presented in the unique historical context
which gave it birth.
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