This three-page document contains the complete language of all 17 constitutional amendments that followed the Bill of Rights, compiled from 17 different documents written over the course of nearly 200 years. The words, punctuation, capitalization, etc., are exactly the same, and the formatting reflects the style conventions used in each of the amendment documents.
The three-frame item is designed to hang on the wall and comes with –
- parchment paper
- wood frames (9 ¼" x 14 ¾" each)
- glass panes
With prudent foresight, the Founding Fathers wrote Article V into the Constitution so it could be amended as necessary, as clearly evidenced by the first ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights. But the bar for amending it was purposely set high so it wouldn't be changed whimsically but only after careful deliberation on matters considered truly important. Once ratified, amendments literally become part of our Constitution, often, like the 12th and 17th Amendments, replacing language in the document.
Over the years, constitutional amendments have included the abolition of slavery, the right to vote regardless of race, the establishment of a federal income tax, Prohibition (and later the repeal of Prohibition), women's suffrage, presidential term limits, representation in the Electoral College for the District of Columbia, and the procedure for removing a president when unable to perform the duties of his office, sometimes called simply the 25th Amendment.