Amendment: An amendment is a change or addition to the United States Constitution. The First Amendment protects our freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
America: The United States of America is sometimes simply called “America”. The First Amendment applies to everyone in America.
Constitution: A constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organization works. The First Amendment is the first addition to the United States Constitution.
Democracy: The word “democracy” describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting, though there are usually rules about who can vote. True democracies only work in very small countries. We live in a democratic republic, which means that we elect representatives to speak for larger groups of people.
First: Generally speaking, when something is first, it means it is the best or most important. The First Amendment is first because it protects our most important freedoms!
Freedom: “Freedom” is the ability to do what one wishes (to a certain degree). The First Amendment protects our freedoms.
Law: Laws are a set of rules decided by a particular government meant to ensure the peace and security of society.
Liberty: Freedom from being confined or controlled.
Madison: James Madison was a Founding Father who wrote the First Amendment in 1791. He also went on to become the 4th U.S. President in 1809.
Petition: A formal, written request signed by many people that is given to a person in authority. The First Amendment protects our right to petition.
Philadelphia: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the city where the Constitution was drafted during the “Constitutional Convention” in 1787.
Press: The Press includes all people who report the news – journalists, tv reporters, bloggers, etc. The First Amendment protects the “freedom of the press,”which means people who report the news won’t be stopped by the government, even if the government doesn’t like what is being reported.
Progress: Progress is the forward movement of society towards certain goals. The First Amendment protects our ability to progress.
Religion: The First Amendment protects the “freedom of religion”. Religion is a set of beliefs about how the universe was made and what its purpose is. Religion usually involves worship of a god or gods, and the belief in certain ideas about right and wrong behavior. Some religions acknowledge only one god, and others acknowledge many gods. Because of the First Amendment, Americans can practice whatever religion they want, and believe whatever they want, even if they choose to believe in nothing. The First Amendment also says that the government can’t support one religion over another.
Rights: Rights are the freedoms we have that we believe are universally held by people. Our government promises to protect our rights. The First Amendment protects our rights to religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
Speech: The First Amendment protects our “freedom of speech”. Freedom of speech is the right to state one’s opinions and ideas without being stopped or punished.