ments ▁and ▁jud icial ▁review ▁has ▁motiv ated ▁constitution al ists ▁at ▁times ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁considering ▁the ▁possibilities ▁for ▁their ▁nation ' s ▁future . ▁ ▁It ▁informed ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁his ▁contemporary ▁and ▁al ly ▁Ben ito ▁Ju á rez ▁of ▁Mexico , ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁generation ▁of ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁constitution al ▁national ists , ▁José ▁R iz al ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines ▁and ▁Sun ▁Y at - sen ▁of ▁China . ▁Since ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁may ▁be ▁w an ing ▁as ▁other ▁countries ▁have ▁re vised ▁their ▁constitution s ▁with ▁new ▁influ ences . ▁ ▁Crit ic isms ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁has ▁faced ▁various ▁critic isms ▁since ▁its ▁in ception ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁Constitution ▁did ▁not ▁originally ▁define ▁who ▁was ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁vote , ▁allowing ▁each ▁state ▁to ▁determine ▁who ▁was ▁el ig ible . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁most ▁states ▁allowed ▁only ▁white ▁male ▁adult ▁property ▁own ers ▁to ▁vote . ▁Until ▁the ▁Re const ruction ▁Am end ments ▁were ▁adopted ▁between ▁ 1 8 6 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁the ▁five ▁years ▁immediately ▁following ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁Constitution ▁did ▁not ▁abol ish ▁sla very , ▁nor ▁give ▁citizens hip ▁and ▁voting ▁rights ▁to ▁former ▁slaves . ▁These ▁am end ments ▁did ▁not ▁include