WATCH: PragerU Talks Constitutional Amendments

It’s almost 12,000 Although many amendments to the U.S. Constitution were proposed since its inception in 1789, only 27 have been ratified. John Yoo, Professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley helps to break them down in a new PragerU Video.

Yoo described the first ten as “the most famous amendments,” The Bill of Rights is also known. It was ratified in 1791 by the 1st Congress. These amendments limit the power of the federal government and guarantee freedom of speech and religion. They also protect the rights to bear arms and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.

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Another batch of major constitutional reforms would come after the Civil War: the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments would be passed by a Republican-controlled Congress between 1865 and 1870 and are collectively known as the Reconstruction Amendments. The 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to ex-slaves and other Americans born on American soil. All people are entitled to equal protection under the law. The 15th Amendment allowed former slaves to vote and declared it unconstitutional for citizens to deny them the franchise. “on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.”

Yoo sub-categorized the other historical groups under three broad umbrellas. “Those that expanded the franchise, those that extended the federal government’s power, and those that fixed issues relating to the office of the presidency.”

Yoo refers to the 17th through 19th Amendments as extensions of the franchise. The 16th Amendment and 18th Amendments gave federal government broad powers. The 20th, 22nd, 25th Amendments provided various revisions to election and removal procedures.

A large part of the American Constitution, aside from a few areas which have been subjected to multiple revisions over time, is still in its original form.

“The Constitution has proven to be remarkably durable,” Yoo concluded. “Just as the framers intended.”

“From WATCH: PragerU Discusses Constitutional Amendments“

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