Vocabulary

Lesson Plans

Vocabulary

by Gwen Perkins

What are the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

The Constitution is the highest law of the United States. All other laws are based on the Constitution. While states have constitutions that apply to that state only, the rules in the U.S. Constitution apply to all states. The Constitution can be changed, but only by creating an amendment. Amendments have to be voted on and passed by the Congress and then ratified by states, just like any law.

The Constitution was written in 1787 by a group of men called the Framers. The Framers wanted to create a document that would provide one set of rules for everyone in the United States. But some states disagreed with the Constitution because it didn’t have a Bill of Rights in it. They wanted to guarantee certain rights and freedoms for citizens, like the freedom of speech. So after the Constitution came into law, ten amendments were written to guarantee those rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution became what we know as the Bill of Rights today.

term	Definition
Advocacy	Advocacy is the act of supporting a particular cause or goal. It is often used to describe pleading or arguing for something. Those who support the cause are called advocates.
Amendment	A change to a bill or a motion. An amendment is debated and voted on just as a bill is.
Ballot	A paper or card used to record a voter’s choices.
Bill	A proposed new law that has not been ratified or adopted. Once a bill has become adopted, it becomes an act.
Civil Rights	These are the rights of citizens. In the United States, this term often refers to the rights, freedoms, and privileges given to citizens in the U.S. Constitution. Protection from discrimination because of race or gender, freedom of speech, and the ability to vote are all ideas normally considered part of civil rights.
Coalition	A coalition is an organized group of people working towards a common goal.
Common Good	A specific "good" that makes the lives of all (or most) people in a community better.
Constitutional Rights	These are rights guaranteed to American citizens by the United States Constitution.
Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions	This 1848 document said that women should have the same rights as men. It was one of the first suffrage documents written in the United States.
Discrimination	Treating some people differently than others without a fair reason. Often, discrimination happens because of a person’s gender or the color of their skin.
Enfranchise	To give the right to vote to a group of people. To take these rights away is to disenfranchise someone. People who can’t vote are often called disenfranchised.
Freedom of Speech	The right to express yourself with words or actions. This is a Constitutional Right.
Law	A system of rules enforced by an authority, generally a government. To make a law for the United States, it has to be first approved by the Congress.
Legislation	The act of making or acting on laws.
Lobby	People who support a common cause. This can be a social issue, business, or special interest. These people are often called lobbyists.
Ratify	This means to approve or give official consent to. A bill cannot become a law unless it has been ratified.
Right	The ability to do something or to keep from doing it. A right is generally based on law or tradition.
Suffrage	The right to vote. To vote in the United States, you must be 18 years of age, a US citizen, and a registered voter. Some states do not allow felons or mentally ill citizens to vote.
Suffragette or Suffragist	This is a person who campaigned for the right of women to vote. Suffragettes believed in using direct action, often illegal, to promote their cause like demonstrating or causing public disorder. Suffragists thought that only peaceful methods should be used to get the vote.
Territory	A large area of land. This often refers to an area that is controlled by a larger country but has not yet become a state or province. Washington was a territory until 1889.
Universal Suffrage	Allowing everyone, regardless of gender or race, to vote.
Woman's Journal, The	the paper put out by Henry B. Blackwell.