Bill of Rights, United States Constitution

* Federalism
* Terms and definitions
* Laws
* Court cases
* Major arguments
* State responses to federal mandates
* State oversight of federal grants
* Federalism by the numbers
* Federalism by the numbers: Federal mandates
* Federalism by the numbers: Federal grants-in-aid
* Federalism by the numbers: Federal information collection requests
* Overview of federal spending during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
* Index of articles

United States Constitution

Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII
Amendments
I-X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX • XXI • XXII • XXIII • XXIV • XXV • XXVI • XXVII

## Contents

* 1 Preamble
* 2 Amendment I
* 3 Amendment II
* 4 Amendment III
* 5 Amendment IV
* 6 Amendment V
* 7 Amendment VI
* 8 Amendment VII
* 9 Amendment VIII
* 10 Amendment IX
* 11 Amendment X
* 12 External links

The Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution includes the first ten amendments, which set aside a list of rights which the federal government cannot infringe upon.

It consists of a preamble and ten amendments.

## Preamble[edit]

| Text of Preamble:

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

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.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

## Amendment I[edit]

Federalism

* * *

•Key terms
• Court cases
•Major arguments
• State responses to federal mandates
•State oversight of federal grants
• Federalism by the numbers
• Index

| Text of Amendment I:

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[edit]

| Text of 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[edit]

| Text of 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[edit]

| Text of 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[edit]

| Text of 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[edit]

| Text of 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[edit]

| Text of 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 re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

## Amendment VIII[edit]

| Text of Amendment VIII:

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

## Amendment IX[edit]

| Text of 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[edit]

| Text of Amendment X:

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.

## External links[edit]

* Transcript of the Bill of Rights
* Transcript of the United States Constitution

v • e

United States Constitution

Preamble • Article I • Article II • Article III • Article IV • Article V • Article VI • Article VII

* * *

Amendments: Bill of Rights • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX • XXI • XXII • XXIII • XXIV • XXV • XXVI • XXVII

v • e

State constitutions of the United States

Federal|

United States Constitution

* * *

State constitutions|

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

* * *

U.S. Territories|

American Samoa • Guam • Northern Mariana Islands • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands

* * *

Changing constitutions|

Amending state constitutions • Constitutional amendment • Constitutional revision • Constitutional convention • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment • Initiated constitutional amendment • Preambles to state constitutions • Publication requirements • Rules about constitutional conventions • Number of state constitutional amendments in each state

v • e

Federalism

Overviews|

Federalism • Index of articles about federalism • Arguments about federalism • State responses to federal mandates • Terms related to federalism

Terms|

Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution • Supremacy Clause • Commerce Clause • Necessary and Proper Clause • Dual federalism • State sovereignty • Preemption • Unfunded mandates • Incorporation of the Bill of Rights • Sovereign immunity

Court cases|

McCulloch v. Maryland • Gibbons v. Ogden • United States v. Lopez • National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) v. Sebelius • South Dakota v. Dole • Printz v. United States • Arizona v. United States • Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization • Trump v. CASA, Inc. • Marbury et al. v. Madison

Legislation|

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act • Paperwork Reduction Act • Information Quality Act • Affordable Care Act • Every Student Succeeds Act • Gun-Free School Zones Act • Social Security Act of 1935 • National Minimum Drinking Age Act

Federal grant survey|

State survey of the federal grant review process, 2021 • State responses to the federal grant review process survey, 2021 • State responses by question to the federal grant review process survey, 2021

Federalism by the numbers|

Federalism by the numbers • Federal mandates • Federal grants-in-aid • Federal outlays to state government (2000-2019) • Federal information collection requests • Overview of federal spending during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

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