Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution facts for kids

The Ninth Amendment (also called Amendment IX) is a really important part of the United States Constitution. It was officially added on December 15, 1791. This amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, which lists many important freedoms. James Madison helped create it. He wanted to make sure people understood that the Bill of Rights doesn't list all the rights citizens have.

The Ninth Amendment means that people in the United States have many other rights, even if they aren't written down in the Constitution. The Supreme Court doesn't talk about this amendment very often. But it's sometimes used to support new rights, like the right to privacy.

What the Ninth Amendment Says

The Ninth Amendment has a very specific wording. It makes it clear that just because some rights are listed, it doesn't mean others don't exist.

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

This means that listing some rights in the Constitution doesn't take away or lessen other rights that people already have.

Why the Ninth Amendment Was Created

In 1787, leaders met at the Constitutional Convention. They created a new Constitution for the country. For it to become law, nine of the thirteen states had to agree to it. States that didn't agree would not be part of the new United States.

Many people were worried about the new national government. They thought it would have too much power over the states. These people were called Anti-Federalists. They believed each state should be like its own independent country. Others, called Federalists, wanted a strong central government.

To get the Constitution passed, they made a deal. Important Federalists like Patrick Henry and George Mason suggested adding a Bill of Rights. This would be a list of amendments to protect people's freedoms.

On September 25, 1789, the Congress approved twelve proposed amendments. They sent them to the states to be approved. On December 15, 1791, the states approved ten of these amendments. These ten became the Bill of Rights.

What the Ninth Amendment Means Today

When the Bill of Rights was first written, its creators wanted to be clear. They didn't want people to think these rights gave the national government more power. They also didn't mean to guarantee extra rights for people.

However, today we understand the Ninth Amendment differently. It is now seen as a way to say that people have rights that are not specifically listed in the Bill of Rights. It protects those unlisted rights.

Images for kids

• 

  The Bill of Rights, kept safe at the National Archives.

See also

In Spanish: Novena Enmienda a la Constitución de los Estados Unidos para niños