Many instructors use the term supporting details or concrete details instead of evidence. 1) Facts: The most frequent type of evidence in an essay is facts. Facts include names, dates, or specific events. When writing about literature, evidence takes the form of plot summaries or specific quotations. 2) Authoritative Opinions: Experts in the field about which you are writing provide supporting details and evidence for your thesis statement.
Lysander Spooner (1808-1887) points out the importance of the 9th Amendment to the American Constitution in protecting the natural rights of the people not enumerated in the first 8 amendments. He laments the fact that this amendment has been ignored by the courts almost since it was enacted:
The Ninth Amendment is key to understanding how the Founding Fathers thought about the liberties they expected Americans to enjoy under the Constitution. They did not believe that they were creating these liberties in the Bill of Rights. better understanding of the Ninth Amendment can do a great deal to clarify the current debate over fundamental rights, laying a firm foundation for the views of Justice Kennedy and other leading judges. Correspondingly, a true understanding of the Ninth Amendment is deadly to Justice Scalia's position.