1100 failed attempts to change the Constitution of America

Each year, the National Archives hosts events in honour of July Four, the birthday of the United States of America. This year, the National Archives has prepared a suitable exhibition for the holiday.

The exhibition, called the “Change of America”, tells the story of thousands of failed attempts to change the Constitution of the United States, consisting of the fundamental principles America governs.

The Constitution of the United States embodys a simple and comprehensive concept: it stresses that human rights stem directly from the creator, not from the state, and people only then grant government rights. Nothing similar had been done before.

America's founders believed that a government made up of people who are not perfect to rule over other humans, equally imperfect, must have limited power. The constitution gives the government only the rights people want the government to have. Over the years, the eight-page American constitution has been exposed to numerous proposals to change it, says National Archives curator Christine Blackerby.

There have been about 11,000 proposals in Congress for constitutional changes. An amendment is proposed when a member of Congress presents it in the House of Representatives or the Senate. ”

Efforts to change the Constitution began almost from the moment it came into force in 1789. Rights Bill, 10 amendments, with 10 specific restrictions on government power, were adopted in 1791.

“There were three main reasons or major ideas that resulted in constitutional changes. Many, 17 out of the 27 ratified amendments concerned expanding rights, including voting rights, freedom of speech, free exercise of religion and many other rights”.

Another major theme, Mrs. Blackerby says, was government regulations.

For example, we have limited to two mandates the American president's right to serve this post”.

There have been other proposals such as election of lottery presidents, or removal of the Electoral College, marriage arrangement, regulations for migratory birds and alcohol consumption.

There have also been periods of intense activities of change, mostly during social change.

The largest number of proposed amendments concerns the Convention-endorsed Equal Rights Amendment, but not all American states.

None of the following 10,000 proposals to include him in the Constitution have worked, says Mrs. Blackerby.

The three-quarters of the states must ratify it. So although the Equal Rights Amendment was adopted in Congress, with two-thirds of the vote, failed to be ratified by states and as a result is not part of the Constitution. ”

History has proved that constitutional changes are very difficult, and Mrs. Blackerby says this is “a good thing”.

The early generations of Americans worked throughout their lives for individual freedoms and a limited government, warning that vigilance would be necessary to preserve freedom for future generations.