The Amendments

The delegates in Philadelphia knew that they were not perfect. They understood that the Constitution might have to be changed.

The delegates wanted the Constitution changed only when it was very important and when most of the people in the country agreed. So, they made changing the Constitution a difficult process. Two-thirds of each house of Congress must vote for an amendment. After that, three-quarters of the states must ratify the amendment. Only then does the amendment become part of the Constitution.

Americans celebrate the passage of the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery in 1865.