"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32
The Bill of Rights, Amendments to the US Constitution
The Ten Original Amendments: The Bill of Rights. Passed by
Congress on September 25, 1789. Ratified December 15, 1791.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right
of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the
security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and
bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered
in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a
manner to be prescribed by law.
The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue,
but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and
particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital,
or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or
indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the
land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual
service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person
be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of
life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to
be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use, without just
compensation.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy
the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury
of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed, which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause
of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against
him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his
favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy
shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall
be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise
re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according
to the rules of the common law.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor
cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights,
shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by
the people.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved
to the States respectively, or to the people.
Additional subsequent amendments to the constitution
The Judicial power of the United States shall not be
construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or
prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of
another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign
State.
Passed by Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795.
The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and
vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom,
at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with
themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted
for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for
as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all
persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for
as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which
lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the
seat of the government of the United States, directed to the
President of the Senate;--The President of the Senate shall,
in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives,
open all the certificates and the votes shall then be
counted;--The person having the greatest number of votes for
President, shall be the President, if such number be a
majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no
person have such majority, then from the persons having the
highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted
for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose
immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the
President, the votes shall be taken by states, the
representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for
this purpose shall consist of a member or members from
two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states
shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of
Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the
right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day
of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as
President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional
disability of the President. The person having the greatest
number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the
Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole
number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a
=majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the
Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the
purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of
Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be
necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally
ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to
that of Vice-President of the United States.
passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified July 27, 1804.
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude,
except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or
any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the
United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are
citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they
reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall
abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United
States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to
any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the
laws.
Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among
the several States according to their respective numbers,
counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding
Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election
for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of
the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive
and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the
Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants
of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of
the United States, or in any way abridged, except for
participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of
representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion
which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole
number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or
Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice
President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the
United States, or under any State, who, having previously
taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of
the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or
as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support
the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in
insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or
comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of
two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the
United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for
payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing
insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But
neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay
any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or
rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss
or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations
and claims shall be held illegal and void.
Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by
appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States
or by any State on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude--
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation--
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes
on incomes, from whatever source derived, without
apportionment among the several States and without regard to
any census or enumeration.
Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February 3, 1913.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of
two senators from each State, elected by the people thereof,
for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The
electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite
for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature.
When vacancies happen in the representation of any
State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State
shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies:
Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the
executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the
people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may
direct.
This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect
the election or term of any senator chosen before it becomes
valid as part of the Constitution.
Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April 8, 1913.
After one year from the ratification of this article,
the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating
liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the
exportation thereof from the United States and all territory
subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is
hereby prohibited.
The Congress and the several States shall have
concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have
been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the
legislatures of the several States, as provided in the
Constitution, within seven years from the date of the
submission hereof to the States by Congress.
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified January 16,
1919. Altered by Amendment 21
The right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any
States on account of sex.
The Congress shall have power by appropriate
legislation to enforce the provisions of this article.
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August 18, 1920.
Section 1. The terms of the President and
Vice-President shall end at noon on the twentieth day of
January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon
on the third day of January, of the years in which such terms
would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and
the terms of their successors shall then begin.
Section 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in
every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the third
day of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different
day.
Section 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of
the term of the President, the President-elect shall have
died, the Vice-President-elect shall become President. If a
President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for
the beginning of his term, or if the President-elect shall
have failed to qualify, then the Vice-President-elect shall
act as President until a President shall have qualified; and
the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a
President-elect nor a Vice-President-elect shall have
qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the
manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such
person shall act accordingly until a President or
Vice-President shall have qualified.
Section 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case
of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of
Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of
choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the
death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose a
Vice-President whenever the right of choice shall have
devolved upon them.
Section 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the
15th day of October following the ratification of this
article.
Section 6. This article shall be inoperative unless it
shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States
within seven years from the date of its submission.
Section 2. The transportation or importation into any
State, Territory, or possession of the United States for
delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation
of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.
Section 3. The article shall be inoperative unless it
shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by conventions in the several States, as provided in the
Constitution, within seven years from the date of the
submission hereof to the States by the Congress.
Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.
Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of
the President more than twice, and no person who has held the
office of President, or acted as President for more than two
years of a term to which some other person was elected
President shall be elected to the office of the President more
than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person
holding the office of President when this Article was proposed
by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who May be
holding the office of President, or acting as President,
during the term within which this Article becomes operative
from holding the office of President or acting as President
during the remainder of such term.
Section 2. This article shall be inoperative unless it
shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States
within seven years from the date of its submission to the
States by the Congress.
Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951.
Section 1. The District constituting the seat of
government of the United States shall appoint in such manner
as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of President
and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and
Representatives in Congress to which the District would be
entitled if it were a state, but in no event more than the
least populous State; they shall be in addition to those
appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the
purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to
be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the
district and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth
article of amendment.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation.
Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961.
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States
to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice
President, for electors for President or Vice President, or
for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied
or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of
failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation.
Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964.
Section 1. In case of the removal of the
President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President
shall become President.
Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of
the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice
President who shall take office upon confirmation by a
majority vote of both Houses of Congress.
Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the
President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives his written declaration that he is
unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and
until he transmits to them a written declaration to the
contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the
Vice President as Acting President.
Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority
of either the principal officers of the executive departments
or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit
to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives their written declaration that
the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of
his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the
powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the
President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives his written declaration that no
inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his
office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the
principal officers of the executive department or of such
other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within
four day to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives their written
declaration that the President is unable to discharge the
powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall
decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that
purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one
days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if
Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after
Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds
vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge
the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall
continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise,
the President shall resume the powers and duties of his
office.
Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967.
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States,
who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on
account of age.
Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation.
Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified June 30, 1971.
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and
Representatives, shall
take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
(1992)
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