The Constitution of the United States forms the backbone of American politics and society, enshrining that the government exists to serve the people, and laying out the structure and function of the federal
government. In effect since 1789, it has necessarily evolved over time to meet the needs of a changing, modern society, with 27 amendments ratified to date, most recently in 1992. The first ten of these amendments constitute the Bill of Rights, which lay out the rights of American citizen in relation to their government. This two-volume set examines all 27 amendments, contextualizing them in history and how they continue to impact modern society. Further, the set delves into six other amendments passed by Congress but never ratified, and looks at important Supreme Court cases related to constitutional amendments. The material is organized into curated sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents. The documents contained within these sections provide an overview of the history and significance of each constitutional amendment and adjacent topics such as Supreme Court cases that left indelible marks on American society. Documents examined include constitutional text, historical accounts, speeches, treatises, court cases, news articles, and more.