Differences Between Amendments And Bill Of Rights

The Constitution is the foundation for the rights we have today. It is hard to believe that it has stood the test of time and continues to be as valid today as the day it was ratified. This is not because the men who created this important document could see into the future or had all the answers to America’s unseen problems; this is because the Constitution has the ability to be altered. These particular alterations are called amendments. The Constitution, before any amendments, was not totally accepted. There were disagreements between the Federalist, a group that supported the original draft of the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalist a group that thought the Constitution did not protect the rights of individuals. The Federalist believed …show more content…
The Bill of Rights are amendments as well because it was not initially stated within the original Constitution. Another difference is that the Bill of Rights are only the first ten amendments of the Constitution. Modernly, amendments are proposed, revised and/or changed just to be voted on in order to make the Constitution more functional for society while the Bill of Rights are less likely to seek alterations. There are many more amendments including, but not limited to the Bill of Rights. The other amendments do not just dictate individual freedom, but address national issues like the 26th Amendment. The 26th Amendment does not just address each citizen of the United States, but targets a certain age group that grants everyone over the age of eighteen the right to vote. While the Bill of Rights guaranteed all white citizens their freedoms, it overlooked individuals who were not of the same race. It can be implied that the Bill of Rights were made for majority, but not the minorities which brought about a need for change. In order to change the fact that the Bill of Rights was oppressive to some social groups, amendments were put into …show more content…
Although it took many years and many controversial riots/protest, many of the amendments such as the 13th Amendment helped instead of hindered society and granted other social classes social equality. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery which freed the slaves, but did not grant those full rights that were assured to white citizens. Some amendments do not deal with people’s right at all. The Clean Air Act set national standards for controlling air pollution. According to the Clean Air Act (1963), “the amendment to the 1955 Act to Provide Research and Technical Assistance Relating to Air Pollution Control, which only supplied funds for the investigation into air pollution issues”. This also shows that not only can the Constitution be altered after an amendment has been approved, but that same amendment can be further modified if need be. The Constitution’s ability to be able to change, conform and adapt to the norms and values of the new world is what makes it such a powerful and relevant