Later Changes

After the Bill of Rights was ratified, the Constitution was still not perfect. So, we have added another seventeen amendments since 1791. Some amendments were needed to fix things that did not work well. Here is an example. At first, a new President was elected in November, but did not take office until March. This made sense in an age of horses and sailing ships. It took time to get the news from one place to the other. It took time for people to get to the national capital. Now, in an age of trains, cars, and planes, this no longer makes sense. In 1933, the 20th Amendment changed the date the new President takes office to January 20.

Women celebrate passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920.