Persons held to service to be delivered up.

Admission of new
States.

Congress to have power over territory.

Republican form of govern ment

each State.

3. No person held to service or labor in one State under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such service or labor; but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.

SECTION III.

1. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other State, nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more States, or parts of States, without the consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned, as well as of the Congress.

2. The Congress shall have power to dispose of, and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the Territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

SECTION IV.

1. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this guaranteed to Union a Republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and, on application of the Legislature, or of the Executive, when the Legislature cannot be convened, against domestic violence.

Mode of amending this Constitution.

former debts.

ARTICLE V.

1. The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to the Constitution; or, on the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

ARTICLE VI.

Assumption of 1. All debts contracted, and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid

against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation.

the supreme law

State Judges

2. This Constitution, and the laws of the United States Constitution to be which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties of the land; the made, or which shall be made under the authority of the bound thereby. United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges, in every State, shall be bound thereby; any thing in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.

take oath to sup

tution; no reli

3. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and Certain officers to the members of the several State Legislatures, and all execu- port this Consti tive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the gious test. several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

1. The ratification of the Conventions of nine States shall How ratified. be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same.

1

Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the States. present, the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed

our names.

GEORGE WASHINGTON,
PRESIDENT, AND DEPUTY FROM VIRGINIA.

IN CONGRESS, SATURDAY, SEPT. 13, 1788.

On the question to agree to the following proposition, it was resolved in the affirmative, by the unanimous votes of nine. States, viz. of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.

elared to be rati

WHEREAS, the Convention assembled in Philadelphia, pur- Constitution de suant to the resolution of Congress of the 21st February, 1787, fied. did, on the 17th of September, in the same year, report to the United States, in Congress assembled, a Constitution for the United States; whereupon, Congress, on the 28th of the same September, did resolve unanimously, "That the said report, with the resolutions and letter accompanying the same,

Government to go mto operation.

be transmitted to the several Legislatures in order to be submitted to a convention of delegates chosen in each State by the people thereof, in conformity to the resolves of the convention made and provided in that case;" and whereas, the Constitution so reported by the convention, and by Congress transmitted to the several Legislatures, has been ratified in the manner therein declared to be sufficient for the establishment of the same, and such ratifications, duly authenticated, have been received by Congress, and are filed in the office of the Secretary; therefore,

Resolved, That the first Wednesday in January next be the day for appointing electors in the several States, which before the said day shall have ratified the said Constitution; that the first Wednesday in February next be the day for the electors to assemble in their respective States, and vote for a President and that the first Wednesday in March next be the time, and the present seat of Congress the place, for commencing proceedings under the said Constitution.

Preamble and resolution which

original proposi

amendments.

AMENDMENTS.

The following amendments, from Articles 1 to 10 inclusive, were proposed at the first session of the first Congress of the United States, which was begun and held at the City of New York, on the 4th of March, 1789, and were adopted by the requisite number of States.

Congress of the United States, begun and held at the City preceded the of New York, on Wednesday, the 4th of March, 1789. The tion of 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 insure 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, namely:

ARTICLE I.

of

the powers of

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment Restrictions of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or Congress. 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.

ARTICLE II.

arms.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of People may keep a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

ARTICLE III.

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house Quartering of without the consent of the owner; nor in time of war, but in

a manner to be prescribed by law.

ARTICLE IV.

soldiers.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, Search warrants. 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.

with

crimes; their

No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise Proceedings infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a charged against persons grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, rights. 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 Private property. public use, without just compensation.

ARTICLE VI.

cused.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right Rights of the ac 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

Right of trial by jury.

Excessive bail,

etc.

Construction
Constitution.

compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defence.

ARTICLE 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 jury shall be otherwise reexamined 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.

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

Reserved powers.

judicial powers.

ARTICLE 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.

Construction of The judicial powers 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.

Mode of electing

President and

the United States

dent.

1. The electors shall meet in their respective States, and Vice President of vote by ballot for President and Vice President, one of whom, choosing Presi- 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 list 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 per