Yesterday, we had an overview of the Bill of Rights. Today, we are going to start learning the significance of each amendment. To do this, we will look at the Amendments in groups of three. Today, we will start with Amendments I-III. Take out your notebooks and let's take some notes about these changes to the Constitution.
- Amendments I-III
- As a whole, these amendments set up the right to different freedoms that are still seen in our country today.
- Amendment I
- Gives us the freedom of petition, assembly, press, religion, speech
- Petition: Ask the government to change things
- Assembly: The Right to Gather in a Group
- Press: The right that newspapers can write the news without censorship
- Religion: No law about what religion we should all follow
- Speech: Right to speak without fear of punishment
- Petition: Ask the government to change things
- Gives us the freedom of petition, assembly, press, religion, speech
- Amendment II
- The right to bear arms
- Americans are allowed to own guns
- This is a very controversial amendment in 2020 that we have discussed in our classroom
- We discussed whether or not there should be limits on the types of guns that can be owned
- Americans are allowed to own guns
- The right to bear arms
- Amendment III
- No quartering shall be given to soldiers
- During the Revolution, British soldiers forced colonists to let them live or quarter in their homes (Quartering Act)
- Prohibits the practice in peacetime and allows Congress to pass a law concerning quartering during wartime
- No quartering shall be given to soldiers
- As a whole, these amendments set up the right to different freedoms that are still seen in our country today.
Think about this scenario...is it right or wrong.
The first Amendment guarantees us the freedoms of assembly and petition. United States citizens are exercising these rights in our country by assembling together in states that have a Stay-at-Home order and petitioning their state government to lift the order.
Do you think it is right for people to be gathering TOGETHER in states affected by Covid-19 and petitioning their governors to lift the Stay-at-Home Order?
Write your answer in the comment section, then finish your Primary Source Journal entry for today, go back and find another person's response to comment on. Have a discussion today!