The Articles of Confederation were at one time our only set of guidelines for our country, "In 1787, Congress scheduled a meeting to reform the Articles of Confederation” (Losco, Boulanger 22). "However; James Madison, also known as the father of the Constitution, had a different idea: abandon the Articles of Confederation and build something different" (Losco, Baker 23). According to Smith and Spaeth, "in 1789, the Constitution was ratified, and then in 1791 the Bill of Rights was added” (Smith, Spaeth). Although many people today know these facts, few know how the contents of this document affect us. constitution is about how amendments are proposed and ratified If there was no system, we could have millions of amendments To keep up with this, many amendments have been added to the Constitution and affect our daily lives. . “Without the Thirteenth Amendment, slavery would still be legal” (Losco, Baker 98), and without the Nineteenth Amendment, women would not have the right to vote” (Losco, Baker 115). one of the reasons the U.S. Constitution has endured as long as it has is that the Founders made provision for change” (Losco, Baker 32). The explanation is Article V. “Article V is the method of amendment,” or how it is adopted (Guide Index to the Constitution). "The Congress, whenever two-thirds of the two Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, at the request of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention to propose amendments which, in both cases, shall be valid for all purposes, as part of this Constitution. when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the various states...... middle of document ......5.1 (2009): 6+. GOLD General Reference Center. Internet. November 28, 2011.Reidy, Maurice Timothy. "How Dry We Were: Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Revisit Prohibition." America October 10, 2011: 22+. GOLD General Reference Center. Internet. November 28, 2011. Smith, Edward Conrad and Harold J. Spaeth. “Chronology of Events in the Constitutional History of the United States.” Constitution of the United States. HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. 54+. GOLD General Reference Center. Internet. November 27, 2011. Tenney, Elizabeth. “Under the rule of Jim Crow.” Cobblestone April 2008: 3. GOLD General Reference Center. Internet. November 27, 2011. “The Constitution of the United States of America.” Constitution of the United States. HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. 199+. GOLD General Reference Center. Internet. November 27, 2011. “The suffrage movement (1878-1899). » American times. Detroit: Gale, 1997. GOLD General Reference Center. Internet. November 28. 2011.