Prompt Cast
The Circuitous Route to Ratifying the 27th Amendment to the American Constitution
TLDR The 27th Amendment to the American Constitution, also known as the Congressional Pay Amendment, took 204 years to be ratified by the last state. It was discovered by a college student named Gregory Watson, who successfully campaigned for its ratification and also played a role in getting Mississippi to ceremonially ratify the 13th amendment.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The 27th Amendment to the American Constitution took a very circuitous route to ratification, unlike any of the previous 26 amendments.
01:31
The 27th Amendment to the American Constitution prevents Congress from giving itself a pay raise until there has been an election, and it became part of the Constitution on May 18, 1992.
02:53
The 27th Amendment, also known as the Congressional Pay Amendment, was originally part of a collection of 12 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, but only 10 were ratified in the 18th century, and it took 204 years for the 27th Amendment to be ratified by the last state.
04:08
The Congressional Pay Amendment was ratified by several states in the late 18th century, but remained unratified for 81 years until Ohio and Wyoming approved it in protest of salary increases, and in 1982, a college student named Gregory Watson discovered the amendment while researching unratified amendments for a class assignment.
05:31
A college student named Gregory Watson set out to get the Congressional Pay Amendment ratified after receiving a C on a paper about the amendment, and after reaching out to members of Congress, Maine ratified the amendment on April 27, 1983.
06:50
Gregory Watson successfully campaigned for the Congressional Pay Amendment to be ratified by multiple states, ultimately leading to its inclusion in the Constitution, and he also played a role in getting Mississippi to ceremonially ratify the 13th amendment.
08:16
Sharon Waite filed paperwork to change Gregory Watson's grade from a C to an A, 35 years after issuing the grade.
