The amendments

The amendments
The amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
Note.
Phrases contained in brackets are those obsoleted or amended by later amendments.
Amendment I.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, orprohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and topetition the Government for a redress of grievances.(1791)
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.(1791)
Amendment III.
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without theconsent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed bylaw.(1791)
Amendment IV.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, and effects,against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and noWarrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath oraffirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and personsor things to be seized.(1791)
Amendment V.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamouscrime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in casesarising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actualservice in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject forthe same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb, nor shall becompelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor bedeprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shallprivate property be taken for public use without just compensation.(1791)
Amendment VI.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to aspeedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and districtwherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have beenpreviously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause ofthe accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to havecompulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have theassistance of counsel for his defence.(1791)
Amendment VII.
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twentydollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried bya jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, thanaccording to the rules of the common law.(1791)
Amendment VIII.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, norcruel and unusual punishments inflicted.(1791)
Amendment IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not beconstrued to deny or disparage others retained by the people.(1791)
Amendment X.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, norprohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, orto the people.(1791)
Amendment XI.
The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extendto any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of theUnited States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of anyForeign State.(1795)
Amendment XII.
The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballotfor President and Vice President, one of whom, at least, shall not be aninhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in theirballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the personvoted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of allpersons 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 signand certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the UnitedStates, directed to the President of the Senate; -- The President of the Senateshall, in the presence of the Senate and the House of Representatives, openall the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; -- The person havingthe greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if suchnumbers be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if noperson have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbersnot exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House ofRepresentatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But inchoosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representationfrom each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of amember or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all thestates shall be necessary to a choice. [And if the House of Representativesshall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve uponthem, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-Presidentshall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutionaldisability of the President --] [footnote 1]The person having the greatest number ofvotes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be amajority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person havea majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shallchoose 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 numbershall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible tothe office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of theUnited States.(1804)
Amendment XIII.
Section 1.Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as apunishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to theirjurisdiction.Section 2.Congress shall have power to enforce this article byappropriate legislation. (1865)
Amendment XIV.
Section 1.All persons born or naturalized in the United States andsubject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and ofthe State wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law whichshall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States;nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, withoutdue process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equalprotection of the laws.Section 2.Representatives shall be apportioned among the several Statesaccording to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of personsin each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at anyelection for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of theUnited States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicialofficers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied toany of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, andcitizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except forparticipation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representationtherein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such malecitizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years ofage in such State. Section 3.No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress,or elector of President or Vice President, or hold any office, civil ormilitary, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previouslytaken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as a member of any Statelegislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to supportthe Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection orrebellion 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 suchdisability. Section 4.The validity of the public debt of the United States,authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions andbounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall notbe questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume orpay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellionagainst the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of anyslave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal andvoid. Section 5.The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriatelegislation, the provisions of this article. (1868)
Amendment XV.
Section 1.The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall notbe denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account ofrace, color, or previous condition of servitude.Section 2.Congress shall have power to enforce this article byappropriate legislation. (1870)
Amendment XVI.
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, fromwhatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, andwithout regard to any census or enumeration.(1913)
Amendment XVII.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators fromeach State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senatorshall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualificationsrequisite 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 fillsuch vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower theexecutive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill thevacancies by election as the legislature may direct. This amendment shall not be so construed as to affect the election or termof any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution. (1913)
Amendment XVIII.
Section 1.[After one year from the ratification of this article themanufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, theimportation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United Statesand all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposesis hereby prohibited.]Section 2.[The Congress and the several States shall have concurrentpower to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.] Section 3.[This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have beenratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of theseveral States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from thedate of submission hereof to the States by the Congress.][footnote 2] (1919)
Amendment XIX.
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied orabridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriatelegislation. (1920)
Amendment XX.
Section 1.The terms of the President and Vice President shall end atnoon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representativesat noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would haveended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successorsshall then begin.Section 2.The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, andsuch meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January, unless they shallby law appoint a different day. Section 3.If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of thePresident, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shallbecome President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the timefixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall havefailed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President untila President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for thecase wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall havequalified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in whichone is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly untila President or Vice President shall have qualified. Section 4.The Congress may by law provide for the case of the death ofany of the persons from whom the House of Representatives may choose aPresident whenever the right of choice shall have devolved upon them, and forthe case of the death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choosea 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 Octoberfollowing the ratification of this article. Section 6.This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have beenratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of itssubmission. (1933)
Amendment XXI.
Section 1.The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution ofthe 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 intoxicatingliquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited. Section 3.This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have beenratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the severalStates, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the dateof the submission hereof to the States by the Congress. (1933)
Amendment XXII.
Section 1.No person shall be elected to the office of the President more thantwice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted asPresident, for more than two years of a term to which some otherperson was elected President shall be elected to the office of thePresident more than once. But this Article shall not apply to anyperson holding the office of President when this Article was proposedby Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding theoffice of President, or acting as President, during the term withinwhich this Article becomes operative from holding the office ofPresident or acting as President during the remainder of such term.Section 2.This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have beenratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of itssubmission to the States by the Congress. (1951)
Amendment XXIII.
Section 1.The District constituting the seat of Government of the UnitedStates shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the wholenumber of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the district wouldbe entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populousState; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but theyshall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and VicePresident, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in theDistrict and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article ofamendment. Section 2.The Congress shall have power to enforce this article byappropriate legislation. (1961)
Amendment XXIV.
Section 1.The right of citizens of the United States to vote in anyprimary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors forPresident or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress,shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reasonof failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.Section 2.The Congress shall have power to enforce this article byappropriate legislation. (1964)
Amendment XXV.
Section 1.In case of removal of the President from office or of hisdeath or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.Section 2.Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the VicePresident, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall takeoffice upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress. Section 3.Whenever the President transmits to the President pro temporeof the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his writtendeclaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of hisoffice, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary,such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as ActingPresident. Section 4.Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either theprincipal officers of the executive departments or of such other body asCongress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of theSenate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their writtendeclaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and dutiesof his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers andduties of the office as Acting President. Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore ofthe Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his writtendeclaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and dutiesof his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either theprincipal officers of the executive departments or of such other body asCongress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President protempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives theirwritten declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers andduties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assemblingwithin 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 isrequired to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that thePresident is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, theVice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President;otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office. (1967)
Amendment XXVI.
Section 1.The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteenyears of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the UnitedStates or any State on account of age.Section 2.The Congress shall have power to enforce this article byappropriate legislation. (1971)
Amendment XXVII.
No law varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an election ofRepresentatives shall have intervened.(1992)
Footnotes.
1. Modified by Amendment XX, Section 3.	footnote 1
2. Modified by Amendment XXI.