How many amendments are in the U.S. Constitution?

The U.S. Constitution contains 27 amendments, which encompass the original ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights and additional amendments that have been ratified over the years. The Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791 to guarantee individual freedoms and rights, and subsequent amendments have addressed various issues such as voting rights, presidential terms, and civil rights. The process for amending the Constitution is intentionally rigorous, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress or a national convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures to propose an amendment, followed by ratification from three-fourths of the states. This careful process ensures that only those amendments with widespread support become part of the Constitution, which is why the number of amendments remains relatively small compared to the vast number of proposed changes throughout U.S. history.