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Amendments are changes added to the Constitution. There are 27 amendments ratified and in effect today. The first ten form the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, which protect fundamental freedoms and rights. Since then, additional amendments have been added to address issues that emerged over time: for example, the 13th ends slavery, the 15th prohibits denying the vote based on race, the 19th grants women the right to vote, and the 26th sets the voting age at 18. The 21st is notable for repealing Prohibition. The total number 27 is the correct count; numbers like 13, 15, or 21 refer to specific amendments, not the overall total. The process to add amendments is deliberately rigorous, requiring proposal by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states.