The Bill of Rights.docx

The Bill of Rights.docx

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TheBillofRights

www.archives.gov

September1,2011

TheBillofRights:

ATranscription

ThePreambletoTheBillofRights

CongressoftheUnitedStates

begunandheldattheCityofNew-York,on

WednesdaythefourthofMarch,onethousandsevenhundredandeightynine.

THEConventionsofanumberoftheStates,havingatthetimeoftheiradoptingtheConstitution,expressedadesire,inordertopreventmisconstructionorabuseofitspowers,thatfurtherdeclaratoryandrestrictiveclausesshouldbeadded:

AndasextendingthegroundofpublicconfidenceintheGovernment,willbestensurethebeneficentendsofitsinstitution.

RESOLVEDbytheSenateandHouseofRepresentativesoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica,inCongressassembled,twothirdsofbothHousesconcurring,thatthefollowingArticlesbeproposedtotheLegislaturesoftheseveralStates,asamendmentstotheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,all,oranyofwhichArticles,whenratifiedbythreefourthsofthesaidLegislatures,tobevalidtoallintentsandpurposes,aspartofthesaidConstitution;viz.

ARTICLESinadditionto,andAmendmentoftheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica,proposedbyCongress,andratifiedbytheLegislaturesoftheseveralStates,pursuanttothefifthArticleoftheoriginalConstitution.

Note:

ThefollowingtextisatranscriptionofthefirsttenamendmentstotheConstitutionintheiroriginalform.TheseamendmentswereratifiedDecember15,1791,andformwhatisknownasthe"BillofRights."

AmendmentI

Congressshallmakenolawrespectinganestablishmentofreligion,orprohibitingthefreeexercisethereof;orabridgingthefreedomofspeech,orofthepress;ortherightofthepeoplepeaceablytoassemble,andtopetitiontheGovernmentforaredressofgrievances.

AmendmentII

AwellregulatedMilitia,beingnecessarytothesecurityofafreeState,therightofthepeopletokeepandbearArms,shallnotbeinfringed.

AmendmentIII

NoSoldiershall,intimeofpeacebequarteredinanyhouse,withouttheconsentoftheOwner,norintimeofwar,butinamannertobeprescribedbylaw.

AmendmentIV

Therightofthepeopletobesecureintheirpersons,houses,papers,andeffects,againstunreasonablesearchesandseizures,shallnotbeviolated,andnoWarrantsshallissue,butuponprobablecause,supportedbyOathoraffirmation,andparticularlydescribingtheplacetobesearched,andthepersonsorthingstobeseized.

AmendmentV

Nopersonshallbeheldtoanswerforacapital,orotherwiseinfamouscrime,unlessonapresentmentorindictmentofaGrandJury,exceptincasesarisinginthelandornavalforces,orintheMilitia,wheninactualserviceintimeofWarorpublicdanger;norshallanypersonbesubjectforthesameoffencetobetwiceputinjeopardyoflifeorlimb;norshallbecompelledinanycriminalcasetobeawitnessagainsthimself,norbedeprivedoflife,liberty,orproperty,withoutdueprocessoflaw;norshallprivatepropertybetakenforpublicuse,withoutjustcompensation.

AmendmentVI

Inallcriminalprosecutions,theaccusedshallenjoytherighttoaspeedyandpublictrial,byanimpartialjuryoftheStateanddistrictwhereinthecrimeshallhavebeencommitted,whichdistrictshallhavebeenpreviouslyascertainedbylaw,andtobeinformedofthenatureandcauseoftheaccusation;tobeconfrontedwiththewitnessesagainsthim;tohavecompulsoryprocessforobtainingwitnessesinhisfavor,andtohavetheAssistanceofCounselforhisdefence.

AmendmentVII

InSuitsatcommonlaw,wherethevalueincontroversyshallexceedtwentydollars,therightoftrialbyjuryshallbepreserved,andnofacttriedbyajury,shallbeotherwisere-examinedinanyCourtoftheUnitedStates,thanaccordingtotherulesofthecommonlaw.

AmendmentVIII

Excessivebailshallnotberequired,norexcessivefinesimposed,norcruelandunusualpunishmentsinflicted.

AmendmentIX

TheenumerationintheConstitution,ofcertainrights,shallnotbeconstruedtodenyordisparageothersretainedbythepeople.

AmendmentX

ThepowersnotdelegatedtotheUnitedStatesbytheConstitution,norprohibitedbyittotheStates,arereservedtotheStatesrespectively,ortothepeople.

Amendments11-27

TheConstitution:

Amendments11-27

ConstitutionalAmendments1-10makeupwhatisknownasTheBillofRights.

Amendments11-27arelistedbelow.

AMENDMENTXI

PassedbyCongressMarch4,1794.RatifiedFebruary7,1795.

Note:

ArticleIII,section2,oftheConstitutionwasmodifiedbyamendment11.

TheJudicialpoweroftheUnitedStatesshallnotbeconstruedtoextendtoanysuitinlaworequity,commencedorprosecutedagainstoneoftheUnitedStatesbyCitizensofanotherState,orbyCitizensorSubjectsofanyForeignState.

AMENDMENTXII

PassedbyCongressDecember9,1803.RatifiedJune15,1804.

Note:

AportionofArticleII,section1oftheConstitutionwassupersededbythe12thamendment.

TheElectorsshallmeetintheirrespectivestatesandvotebyballotforPresidentandVice-President,oneofwhom,atleast,shallnotbeaninhabitantofthesamestatewiththemselves;theyshallnameintheirballotsthepersonvotedforasPresident,andindistinctballotsthepersonvotedforasVice-President,andtheyshallmakedistinctlistsofallpersonsvotedforasPresident,andofallpersonsvotedforasVice-President,andofthenumberofvotesforeach,whichliststheyshallsignandcertify,andtransmitsealedtotheseatofthegovernmentoftheUnitedStates,directedtothePresidentoftheSenate;--thePresidentoftheSenateshall,inthepresenceoftheSenateandHouseofRepresentatives,openallthecertificatesandthevotesshallthenbecounted;--ThepersonhavingthegreatestnumberofvotesforPresident,shallbethePresident,ifsuchnumberbeamajorityofthewholenumberofElectorsappointed;andifnopersonhavesuchmajority,thenfromthepersonshavingthehighestnumbersnotexceedingthreeonthelistofthosevotedforasPresident,theHouseofRepresentativesshallchooseimmediately,byballot,thePresident.ButinchoosingthePresident,thevotesshallbetakenbystates,therepresentationfromeachstatehavingonevote;aquorumforthispurposeshallconsistofamemberormembersfromtwo-thirdsofthestates,andamajorityofallthestatesshallbenecessarytoachoice.[AndiftheHouseofRepresentativesshallnotchooseaPresidentwhenevertherightofchoiceshalldevolveuponthem,beforethefourthdayofMarchnextfollowing,thentheVice-PresidentshallactasPresident,asincaseofthedeathorotherconstitutionaldisabilityofthePresident.--]*ThepersonhavingthegreatestnumberofvotesasVice-President,shallbetheVice-President,ifsuchnumberbeamajorityofthewholenumberofElectorsappointed,andifnopersonhaveamajority,thenfromthetwohighestnumbersonthelist,theSenateshallchoosetheVice-President;aquorumforthepurposeshallconsistoftwo-thirdsofthewholenumberofSenators,andamajorityofthewholenumbershallbenecessarytoachoice.ButnopersonconstitutionallyineligibletotheofficeofPresidentshallbeeligibletothatofVice-PresidentoftheUnitedStates.

*Supersededbysection3ofthe20thamendment.

AMENDMENTXIII

PassedbyCongressJanuary31,1865.RatifiedDecember6,1865.

Note:

AportionofArticleIV,section2,oftheConstitutionwassupersededbythe13thamendment.

Section1.

Neitherslaverynorinvoluntaryservitude,exceptasapunishmentforcrimewhereofthepartyshallhavebeendulyconvicted,shallexistwithintheUnitedStates,oranyplacesubjecttotheirjurisdiction.

Section2.

Congressshallhavepowertoenforcethisarticlebyappropriatelegislation.

AMENDMENTXIV

PassedbyCongressJune13,1866.RatifiedJuly9,1868.

Note:

ArticleI,section2,oftheConstitutionwasmodifiedbysection2ofthe14thamendment.

Section1.

AllpersonsbornornaturalizedintheUnitedStates,andsubjecttothejurisdictionthereof,arecitizensoftheUnitedStatesandoftheStatewhereintheyreside.NoStateshallmakeorenforceanylawwhichshallabridgetheprivilegesorimmunitiesofcitizensoftheUnitedStates;norshallanyStatedepriveanypersonoflife,liberty,orproperty,withoutdueprocessoflaw;nordenytoanypersonwithinitsjurisdictiontheequalprotectionofthelaws.

Section2.

RepresentativesshallbeapportionedamongtheseveralStatesaccordingtotheirrespectivenumbers,countingthewholenumberofpersonsineachState,excludingIndiansnottaxed.ButwhentherighttovoteatanyelectionforthechoiceofelectorsforPresidentandVice-PresidentoftheUnitedStates,RepresentativesinCongress,theExecutiveandJudicialofficersofaState,orthemembersoftheLegislaturethereof,isdeniedtoanyofthemaleinhabitantsofsuchState,beingtwenty-oneyearsofage,*andcitizensoftheUnitedStates,orinanywayabridged,exceptforparticipationinrebellion,orothercrime,thebasisofrepresentationthereinshallbereducedintheproportionwhichthenumberofsuchmalecitizensshallbeartothewholenumberofmalecitizenstwenty-oneyearsofageinsuchState.

Section3.

NopersonshallbeaSenatororRepresentativeinCongress,orelectorofPresidentandVice-President,orholdanyoffice,civilormilitary,undertheUnitedStates,orunderanyState,who,havingpreviouslytakenanoath,asamemberofCongress,orasanofficeroftheUnitedStates,orasamemberofanyStatelegislature,orasanexecutiveorjudicialofficerofanyState,tosupporttheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates,shallhaveengagedininsurrectionorrebe