| Show FIRST TEN AMENDMENTS Bill of Rights Ratified 15 December 1791 AMENDMENT AMENDMENT I Freedom of Religion Speech Press of Assembly Petition and the 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 AMENDMENT 3 Quartering of Soldiers 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 11 Lawsuits Against States 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 Election 1804) AMENDMENT and 12 of the President (Ratified The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for president and 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 and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as president and of all persons voted for as and of the number of votes for each which lists they shall sign and certify and transmit sealed to the seat of the of the United States directed to the government 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 then from the persons having the highest majority numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as president the House of Representatives shall choose immediately But in by ballot the president the votes shall be taken by choosing the president states the representation from each state having one vote a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from 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 followshall act as president as in ing then the the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the president The person having the greatest number of votes as shall be the 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 a quorum for the purpose shall consist of 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 of the United States eligible to that of AMENDMENT Abolition 13 of Slavery (Ratified 1865) Section 1 Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude for crime whereof the party except as a punishment shall have been duly convicted shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction Section 2 Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation AMENDMENT 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 AMENDMENTS 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 AMENDMENT Arrest Warrants The right of the people to be secure in their persons houses papers and effects 2 Right to Keep and Bear Arms AMENDMENT Search and process of law nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation 4 14 Civil Rights (Ratified 1868) Section 1 Citizenship defined citizens' privileges 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 Apportionment of Representatives 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 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 Rights in Criminal Cases and of Property Protection 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 nbr shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself nor be deprived of life liberty or property without due of the male inhabitants of such state being 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 years of age in such state Section 3 Loss of privileges No person shall be a senator or representative in Congress or elector of or hold any office civil or president and 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 of each house remove such disability Section 4 Public debt 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 AMENDMENT Suffrage (Ratified 15 1870) 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 AMENDMENT 16 Income Tax (Ratified 1913) 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 AMENDMENT 17 Direct Election of Senators (Ratified 1913) Section 1 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 legislatures Section 2 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 Section 3 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 AMENDMENT Prohibition (Ratified Amendment 21) 1919 18 repealed 1933 by Section 1 After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture sale or transportation of thereof intoxicating liquors within the importation into or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited Section 2 The Congress and the several states shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation Section 3 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 within seven years from provided in the Constitution the date of the submission hereof to the states by the Congress AMENDMENT Rights of an according to law the rules of the common AMENDMENT 6 Excessive Bail Fines Accused Person 8 and Punishments Prohibited 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 defense Excessive bail shall not be required nor excessive fines imposed nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted 9 AMENDMENT Rights Retained by the People The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people AMENDMENT 7 AMENDMENT 10 Rights in Civil Suits 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 reexamined in any court of the United States than AMENDMENT AMENDMENT 20 and Congressional Terms (Ratified 1933) The terms of the president and 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 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 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 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 shall accordingly until a president or 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 whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them Section 5 Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the fifteenth 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 of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission 1 AMENDMENT 21 Repeal of Prohibition (Ratified 1933) Section 1 The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed 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 This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the in the several states as Constitution by conventions within seven years from provided in the Constitution the date of the submission hereof to the states by the Congress AMENDMENT Reserved to States or People people 19 Women’s Suffrage (Ratified 1920) 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 sex Section 2 Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation Presidential Section Powers 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 22 President Limited to Two Terms (Ratified 1951) 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 the of than office once But this article president more 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 of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress AMENDMENT 23 Presidential Electors for the District of Columbia (Ratified 1961) 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 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 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 AMENDMENT 24 Voting Rights Protected (Ratified 1964) Section 1 The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for president or for electors for president or 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 the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation AMENDMENT 25 Presidential Vacancies (Ratified 1967) Section 1 In case of the removal of the president from office or of his death or resignation the shall become president Section 2 Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the the president shall nominate a 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 as acting by the president Section 4 Whenever the 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 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 and a of either the officers of the executive majority principal department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide transmit within four days 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 hours for that within purpose if not in session If the Congress twenty-ondays after receipt of the latter written declaration or if Congress is not in session within twenty-onafter is days Congress required to assemble determines by vote of both houses that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office the shall continue to discharge the same as acting president otherwise the president shall resume the powers and duties of his office AMENDMENT 26 Suffrage for (Ratified 1971) 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 |
