Initially, the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence reflected the resolution of problems and discrimination caused by the British colonial government to American nation. The Forefathers tried to take into account all disadvantages of colonial legislation, which prevented Americans from normal life. That is why, the first ten amendments of the Constitution were aimed at improvement of civil and human rights in the United States, which were always neglected during the British rule. The enactment of these ten amendments introduced the United States as a country where human rights of citizens are of paramount importance.
The freedom of speech and religion was a progressive step in that time, and nowadays, it is an actual and integral part of any constitution all over the world. The right to keep and bear arms is considered to be outdated since the society has changed immensely, although for other people it is the way to feel themselves safe. Today, a gun is not the only way to solve the problem as it was in the time of Frontier and Wild West, but at the same time, it is a part of American culture. As the political needs have changed, this amendment arises a lot of disputes nowadays.
However, what is more significant is that the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh amendments completely changed judicial system in America, which displeased all citizens. These amendments regulated all processes of judicial relations between court and citizens, beginning from a search and arrest and ending with trial proceedings and jury. Undoubtedly, these four amendments were the most desired among Americans in that time; moreover, it becomes evident while looking at the indictment part of the Declaration of Independence, where all injuries and usurpations of the British government are listed. Hence, the Eight Amendment reflected the needs of Americans to be secured against excessive fines and cruel punishment. British policy caused anger of masses, and this amendment was aimed to prevent a similar situation in the future.
The political needs of states and the American society did not change immensely within the years, and the first ten amendments are still actual nowadays and reflect the public opinion in America. The process of amending the Constitution guaranteed that the government would be always able to react promptly to the public opinion of American society. That is how the further amendments of the US Constitution were ratified, when the tensions in society were taken into account in order to make the Constitution more flexible and actual. Firstly, it allowed correcting defects in American electoral system with the help of the Twelfth Amendment.
Later, African Americans were granted the rights of the first-class citizens. First of all, those amendments were provoked by intensification of the abolitionist movement and personal initiative of President Lincoln. At the same time, the growth of the Temperance Movement caused the ratification of Prohibition amendment, while the understanding of its fallacy lead to the repeal of this amendment. The similar situation was before the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women with the right to vote, when the society attained the appropriate level of development to understand that women are equal citizens.
Finally, throughout its entire history, American Constitution was the reflection of public opinion. Even being enacted with delay, such Amendments as the 13th and 19th make it possible to call the United States a democratic state. The period before 1920 is the most revolutionary in the US history, when American nation was in the process of social organization. All in all, the society is changing every day, and sooner or later there would be new amendments, purposed to fulfill the will of people.
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