The Electoral College is outlined in Article II, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution. It is the formal body that elects the President and Vice President of the United States. Back in 1787, when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were trying to figure out how the President should be chosen, some wanted the Congress … Continue reading Amending the Electoral College: The 12th Amendment
Today’s post comes from Christine Blackerby, archives specialist in the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives in Washington, DC. She is also co-curator of the exhibit “Amending America.” More than 11,000 constitutional amendments have been introduced in Congress since the Constitution was written in 1787. What most of these proposals have in common, … Continue reading Last chance to see Amending America
Join one of the “Amending America” exhibit curators Christine Blackerby for a Facebook Live video on the Huffington Post Politics page. On July 9, 1868, the Fourteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution became law. It is arguably the most important of the 27 amendments. The amendment originated after the Civil War when Congress attempted to pass … Continue reading Amending America: the 14th Amendment
The 27th amendment, ratified on May 7, 1992, was originally proposed on September 25, 1789. Yes, that date is correct. The amendment was part of the original 12 proposed amendments sent to the states for ratification in 1789. Amendments 3 through 12 were ratified on December 15, 1791, becoming what we now call the Bill of … Continue reading A Record-Setting Amendment
The Constitution hasn’t changed much since it was adopted in 1787. However, it has been tweaked by 27 amendments—some were ratified in a few months, another took more than two centuries. The ink on the Constitution had barely dried in 1787 when people discovered what it did not say. It did not spell out adequately, … Continue reading Amending the Constitution: 100 Days to 200 Years
Today’s post was written by National Archives volunteer Paul Richter. It is part of a series tracing the development of the Constitution in honor of the 225th anniversary of this document on September 17, 2012. On Monday, September 10, 1787, the Constitutional Convention was fixated on fractions. After four months of debate and compromise, … Continue reading Constitution 225: Fractions and ratifications
