Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/second-amendment-to-the-united-states-constitution

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the date ratified?December 15, 1791
2. What is the historical influence?English common law and the English Bill of Rights 1689
3. What is the Second Amendment and why was it made?It is a rule in the U.S. Constitution that says people can keep and carry weapons. It was made to help people stay safe and to keep the government from becoming too powerful.
4. Who helped write the Second Amendment and what did they think about armies?James Madison and other founders wrote it. They thought that having ordinary people who could use weapons would stop a big army from taking over.

English Common Law: A body of law developed in England based on judicial decisions and custom.
Federalist No. 46: A key essay by James Madison arguing for state militias as a check on federal power.
Dicta: Statements in a judicial opinion that are not essential to the decision but are made as observations.