Introduction

As you read through these few blogs, you will gain knowledge of the amendments that reflect changing social values.  These amendments are amendments that have made America the way it is today.  The two main amendments that will be listed in these blogs are two of the most inportant amendments that Congress have added to the Constitution.   

The 13th Amendment

The Thirteenth Amendment was created to abolition slavery from the colonies.  The amendment was passed by congress on January 31st, 1865.  In the Constitution it states that, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment from crime whereof the party shall have been duly convictec, shall exist within the United States, or any place sugject to their jurisdiction".  The was one of the quotes that congress had to say about the amendment.  Another Quote within the Constitution is, "Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropiate legislation".

For this amendment to be added to the Constitution of the United States, 3/4 of the states legislatures must ratify the amendment.  Once this admendment was proposed only twenty-seven of the states ratifid.  That was not enough to get the amendment passed.  On december 6th, 1865 nine more states decided to ratify amendment 13.  The Revolutionary War had a huge impact on this amendment.  If the North had not won the war, then the south would have continued to import slaves from Africa and use them for their labor work.

This amendment impacts the United States greatly.  Without this amendment, slavery would be going on across the whole United States.  With this amendment it gives colored people the right to be free and live like the white majority.

Resources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth amendment
• http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/documents. 

The 18th Amendment

The 18th amendment  was the prohibition in the united states.  Prohibition is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages.  This amendment was passed by congress on December 18th, 1917.  As said before, to add an amendment to the Constitution there must be at least 3/4 of the states that ratify the amendment.  Out of the fifty states forty-six of them ratified this amendment.  The amendment got 3/4 votes on january 16th, 1919.  The last amendment that deal with changing social values repeals this amendment.  Repeal is when an amendment gets removed from the constitution.

In the Constitution it reads, "After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited."  This quote basically states that alcohol in the United states is now illegal and there shall be no sales of the product or importation of it.  Another qiote is, "The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." As said in the last text of amendment 13, this quote gives Congress and all the states that have ratified the power to change the amendment.  The last quote that was said is, "This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress."  This quote can be summed up as saying that the amendment will be active and cant be changed, unless Congress and the several states have another voting (ratify) to change or repeal the amendment.  all this must be done within seven years.

The impact this amendment had on the United states was not so good.  When prohibition began, Mafia leaders found this as an opportunity to make money by selling the liquor and alcohol illegaly.  This effected the crime rate and that rate was rising fast.  Mafia leaders, most notably Al Capone began to control enormous empires, developing production, transportation, and retail institutions to get their product to market.  people did not see this as an illegal act becuase they thought acohol was a victimless crime an they were getting just what they wanted.  The outcome of all this was that the mafia grew much wealthier, stronger, and more established.  When the 21st amendment repealed the 18th, that was when the government could take control of these organizations that were selling alcohol illegaly.  As you can see the impact of this amendment was not so good for the government and crime rate.

Resources:

• http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters.constitution
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/eighteenth amendment

The 21st Amendment

The 21st amendment and the 18th amendment are connected in a way becuase they both deal with alcoholic beverages.  The 18th banded alcoholic beverages from the United States.  The 21st repealed that amendment and mandated nationwide prohibition.  The amendment was ratified on December 5th, 1933.  Only eight of the fifty states did not rayify.  These States were Nebraska, Kanas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, North and South Dakota, and Georgia.  Pennsylvania ratified for all the amendments that change social values.

There were three main quotes that I have pulled out of the Constitution.  In the Constitution Congress has written, "The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the Unites States is hereby repealed."  When Congress wrote this, they have taken out the 18th amendment that stated alcohol is illegal in the United States.  Therefore no selling or importation of the product.  With that amendment gone, Congress wrote, "The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited." This quote aloows people to go against the 18th amendment and be allowed to consume alcohol.  When the quote says, " in violation of laws, is hereby prohibited."  This part of the quote is the most important.  This can be hard to understand, but it means that you are allowed to break the law.  It references to the 18th amendment, you are allowed not to follow it.  The final quote from the Constitution about the 21st amendment is, "This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission here of to the States by the Congress."  In every amendment, Congress states that the amendment that has just been ratified can be changed.  In this case, Congress says the amendment can be changed if the several states hold conventions.  Congress gives the amendment seven years to be changed from the date of submission.

 By Ratifying the 21st amendment, it was the first amendment to nullify another admendment.  Together, the 21st and 18th admendment changed the way the United States manufactured and sold alcoholic beverages.  With the 21st amendment in power, it changes the overlook of alcohol America use to have on it.  Alcohol consumption will forever be allowed from state to state.  With in the National Governemtn there is something called, " Checks and Balances".  With alcohol legal,  it allows the checks and balances system to legally and wisley distributed alcoholic beverages.  This impact it has on the United States is not as bad as the other amendments.  This amendment eaches Americans to use the beverage wisley and teachs responsibility.  On the other hand, there are people that abuse the product, and results in drunk driving.  This amendment has its positves and negitives. 

Resources:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/org/wiki/Twenty-First