Amendments Timeline

• 12 original amendments were proposed, but only the last 10 would be ratified in the bill of rights. 200 years later, the original second amendment would be ratified as the 27th amendment.

Historical Event:

• Case of Chisholm v. Georgia.

This case is about how Alexander Chisholm (South Carolina) sued the state of Georgia for breach of contract for wanting money from Georgia. The state refused to pay because the lawsuit was without his consent, so they had sovereign immunity. This showed an intention to participate towards the state and federal government on the part of the Court, which led to the creation of said amendment.

Historical Event:

• Election of 1800.

This election was between Democratic-Republican Vice President Thomas Jefferson and Federalist President John Adams. Jefferson defeated Adams by a margin of 73 to 65 electoral votes in the presidential election, marking the first peaceful change from one president to another despite the fact that they were both from opposite parties.

Historical Event:

• Abolition of slavery after the Civil War.

After the war ended and the southern states became part of the union, Abraham Lincoln realized that the Emancipation Proclamation was effective, but not as he wanted because slavery had not ended. The Senate approved the idea of this amendment, but it was rejected in the House of Representatives as the Democrats did not support that idea. Lincoln's re-election secured the military union to support him in passing the amendment.

Historical Event:

• Civil Rights Act of 1866.

Many elected southern state legislatures that were dominated by Confederate leaders enacted black codes which were extremely restrictive laws separating blacks from whites. Johnson did not want to pass this amendment, but Congress struck it down and signed it into law. This was the first time that Congress vetoed a president in American history.