Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10) & Additional Amendments 11-27

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America, in Congress assembled,
two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the
following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures
of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution
of the United States, all, or any of which Articles,
when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures,
to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part
of the said Constitution; viz.

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 II

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 III

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.

Amendment IV

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.

Amendment V

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.

Amendment VI

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.

Amendment VII

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 according to
the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive
fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments
inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain
rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people.

Amendment X

Note: Article III, section 2, of the Constitution
was modified by amendment 11.

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.

Amendment XII
Passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified
June 15, 1804.

Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the
Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment.

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 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.
*Superseded by section 3 of the 20th amendment.

Amendment XIII
Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified
December 6, 1865.

Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the
Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.

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.

Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.

Amendment XIV
Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July
9, 1868.

Note: Article I, section 2, of the Constitution
was modified by section 2 of the 14th amendment.

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 the power to enforce,
by appropriate legislation, the provisions of
this article.
*Changed by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

Amendment XV
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified
February 3, 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 the power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment XVI
Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February
3, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution
was modified by amendment 16.

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 XVII
Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April
8, 1913.

Note: Article I, section 3, of the Constitution
was modified by the 17th amendment.

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.
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

Amendment XVIII
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified
January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.

Section 1.
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.

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
provided in the Constitution, within seven years
from the date of the submission hereof to the
States by the Congress

Note: Article I, section 4, of the Constitution
was modified by section 2 of this amendment. In
addition, a portion of the 12th amendment was
superseded by section 3.

Section 1.
The terms of the President and the Vice President
shall end at noon on the 20th day of January,
and the terms of Senators and Representatives
at noon on the 3d 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 3d 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 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.

Amendment XXI
Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified
December 5, 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 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.

Amendment XXII
Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February
27, 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 office of President more than once. But
this Article shall not apply to any person holding
the office of President when this Article was
proposed by 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.

Amendment XXIII
Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March
29, 1961.

Section 1.
The District constituting the seat of Government
of the United States shall appoint in such manner
as 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 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 poll tax or other tax.

Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.

Amendment XXV
Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February
10, 1967.

Note: Article II, section 1, of the Constitution
was affected by the 25th amendment.

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 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 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.

Amendment XXVI
Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July
1, 1971.

Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution
was modified by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

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.

Amendment XXVII
Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May
7, 1992.