THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES

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Constitution Day is September 17.

1

(Preamble) 

We the People  of the United

States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America.

Article I (Article 1 - Legislative)

Section 1
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a
Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a
Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2
1: The House of Representatives shall be composed of
Members chosen every second Year by the People of the
several States, and the Electors in each State shall have
the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most
numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
2: No Person shall be a Representative who shall not
have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and
been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who
shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in
which he shall be chosen.
3: Representatives and direct Taxes shall
be apportioned among the several States which may be
included within this Union, according to their respective
Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the
whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to
Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not
taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.2  The
actualEnumeration shall be made within three Years after
the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States,
and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such
Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of
Representatives shall not exceed onefor every thirty
Thousand, but each State shall have at
Least one Representative; and until
such enumeration shall be made, the State of
New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three,
Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence
Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six,
New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one,
Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolinafive,
South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
4: When vacancies happen in the Representation from
any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall
issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
5: The House of Representatives shall chuse their
Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole
Power of Impeachment.

Section 3
1: The Senate of the United States shall be composed
of two Senators from each State, chosen by the
Legislature thereof,3 forsix Years; and each Senator shall
have one Vote.
2: Immediately after they shall be assembled in
Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided
as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the
Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the
Expiration of the second Year, of thesecond Class at the
Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at
the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be
chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by
Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the
Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may
make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of
the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.4
3: No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have
attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years
a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when
elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall
be chosen.
4: The Vice President of the United States shall be
President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless
they be equally divided.
5: The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a
President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice
President, or when he shall exercise the Office of
President of the United States.
6: The Senate shall have the sole Power to try
all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they
shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of
the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside:
And no Person shall be convicted without
the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
7: Judgment in Cases of impeachment shall not extend
further than to removal from Office, and disqualification
to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit
under the United States: but the Party convicted shall
nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial,
Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section 4
1: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for
Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in
each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress
may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations,
except as to the Places of chusingSenators.
2: The Congress shall assemble at least once in every
Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in
December,5 unless they shall by Law appoint a different
Day.

Section 5
1: Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections,
Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a
Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do
Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day
to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance
of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such
Penalties as each House may provide.
2: Each House may determine the Rules of its
Proceedings, punish its Members for
disorderly Behaviour, and, with
theConcurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.
3: Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings,
and from time to time publish the same, excepting such
Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the
Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any
question shall, at the Desire ofone fifth of those Present,
be entered on the Journal.
4: Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall,
without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more
than three days, nor to any other Place than that in
which the two Houses shall be sitting.

Section 6
1: The Senators and Representatives shall receive a
Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by
Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United
States.6 They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony
and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest
during their Attendance at the Session of their respective
Houses, and in going to and returning from the same;
and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall
not be questioned in any other Place.
2: No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time
for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office
under the Authority of the United States, which shall
have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall
have been encreased during such time; and no Person
holding any Office under the United States, shall be a
Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

Section 7
1: All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose
or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.
2: Every Bill which shall have passed the House of
Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become
a Law, be presented to the President of the United
States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall
return it, with his Objections to that House in which it
shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at
large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If
after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall
agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the
Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise
be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that
House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the
Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and
Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and
against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each
House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by
the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it
shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a
Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the
Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in
which Case it shall not be a Law.
3: Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which
the Concurrence of the Senate and House of
Representatives may be necessary (except on a question
of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of
the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect,
shall be approved by him, or being disapproved by him,
shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate and House
of Representatives, according to the Rules and
Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill.

Section 8
1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect
Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts
and provide for the common Defence and
general Welfare of the United States; but
all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform
throughout the United States;
2: To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
3: To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and
among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and
uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout
the United States;
5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of
foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and
Measures;
6: To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the
Securities and current Coin of the United States;
7: To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts,
by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors
the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and
Discoveries;
9: To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies
committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the
Law of Nations;
11: To declare War, grant Letters of
Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning
Captures on Land and Water;
12: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of
Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term
than two Years;
13: To provide and maintain a Navy;
14: To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of
the land and naval Forces;
15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the
Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel
Invasions;
16: To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining,
the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may
be employed in the Service of the United States,
reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of
the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia
according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;
17: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases
whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles
square) as may, byCession of particular States, and the
Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the
Government of the United States, and to exercise like
Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the
Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for
the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards,
and other needful Buildings;—And
18: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and
proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers,
and all other Powersvested by this Constitution in the
Government of the United States, or in any Department
or Officer thereof.

Section 9
1: The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any
of the States now existing shall think proper to admit,
shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year
one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax
or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not
exceeding ten dollars for each Person.
2: The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not
be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or
Invasion the public Safety may require it.
3: No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be
passed.
4: No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless
in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before
directed to be taken.7
5: No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from
any State.
6: No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of
Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over
those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from,
one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in
another.
7: No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in
Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a
regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and
Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from
time to time.
8: No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United
States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or
Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the
Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or
Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or
foreign State.

Section 10
1: No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or
Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal;
coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but
gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts; pass
any Bill of Attainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing
the Obligation of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
2: No State shall, without the Consent of the Congress,
lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports, except
what may be absolutely necessary for executing it's
inspection Laws: and the net Produce of
all Duties and Imposts, laid by any State on Imports or
Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of the
United States; and all such Laws shall be subject to the
Revision and Controul of the Congress.
3: No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay
any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in
time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact
with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in
War, unless actually invaded, or in
such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Article II (Article 2 - Executive)

Section 1
1: The executive Power shall be vested in a President of
the United States of America. He shall hold his Office
during the Term offour Years, and, together with the Vice
President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as
follows
2: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the
Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors,
equal to the whole Number of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be entitled in
the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or
Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the
United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
3: The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and
vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least
shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with
themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons
voted for, 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 Person having the
greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such
Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors
appointed; and if there be more than one who have such
Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the
House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by
Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a
Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said
House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But
in chusing 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.
In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the
Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the
Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should
remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate
shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President.8
4: The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the
Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their
Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the
United States.
5: No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen
of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this
Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President;
neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who
shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years,
and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United
States.
6: In Case of the Removal of the President from Office,
or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the
Powers andDuties of the said Office,9 the Same shall
devolve on the VicePresident, and the Congress may by
Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation
or Inability, both of the President and Vice President,
declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and
such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be
removed, or a President shall be elected.
7: The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his
Services, a Compensation, which shall neither
be encreased nor diminished during the Period for which
he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive
within that Period any otherEmolument from the United
States, or any of them.
8: Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall
take the following Oath or Affirmation:—“I do solemnly
swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office
of President of the United States, and will to the best of
my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution
of the United States.”

Section 2
1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the
Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of
the several States, when called into the actual Service of
the United States; he may require the Opinion, in
writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive
Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of
their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant
Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United
States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
2: He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and
Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two
thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall
nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of
the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public
Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and
all other Officers of the United States, whose
Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and
which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may
by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as
they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of
Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
3: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies
that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by
granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of
their next Session.

Section 3
He shall from time to time give to the Congress
Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to
their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge
necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary
Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and
in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to
the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such
Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive
Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take
Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall
Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section 4
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the
United States, shall be removed from Office
on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason,
Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Article III (Article 3 - Judicial)

Section 1
The judicial Power of the United States, shall
be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior
Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain
and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and
inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during
goodBehaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for
their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be
diminished during their Continuance in Office.

Section 2
1: The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law
and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of
the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be
made, under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting
Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;—to all
Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;—to
Controversies to which the United States shall be a
Party;—to Controversies between two or more States;—
between a State and Citizens of another State;10 —
between Citizens of different States, —between Citizens
of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of
different States, and between a State, or the Citizens
thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
2: In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public
Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall
be Party, the supreme Court shall have
original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before
mentioned, the supreme Court shall
haveappellateJurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with
such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the
Congress shall make.
3: The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases
of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be
held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been
committed; but when not committed within any State,
the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress
may by Law have directed.

Section 3
1: Treason against the United States, shall consist only
in levying War against them, or in adhering to their
Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall
be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony
of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession
in open Court.
2: The Congress shall have Power to declare the
Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall
work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the
Life of the Person attainted.

Article IV (Article 4 - States' Relations)

Section 1
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the
public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every
other State. And the Congress may by general Laws
prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and
Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section 2
1: The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all
Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several
States.
2: A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony,
or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found
in another State, shall on Demand of the executive
Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered
up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the
Crime.
3: No Person held to Service or Labour 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 Labour, but shall be
delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service
or Labour may be due.11

Section 3
1: New States may be admitted by the Congress into this
Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected
within theJurisdiction 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 4
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this
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.

Article V (Article 5 - Mode of Amendment)

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall
deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this
 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
ofthree 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 (Article 6 - Prior Debts, National Supremacy, Oaths of Office)

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.
2: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States
which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all
Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the
Authority of the 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.
3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned,
and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and
all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United
States and of the 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.

Article VII (Article 7 - Ratification)

 The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall
be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution
between the States so ratifying the Same.
The Word "the", being interlined between
the seventh and eight Lines of the first Page, The
Word "Thirty" being partly written on an Erazure in
the fifteenth Line of the first Page. The Words "is tried"
being interlined between
the thirty second and thirty thirdLines of the first Page
and the Word "the" being interlined between
the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.

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,
  
AttestWilliam   Go: Washington -Presidt. and deputy
JacksonSecretary
from Virginia 

Delaware
  Geo: Read
  Gunning Bedford jun
  John Dickinson 
  Richard Bassett 
  Jaco: Broom

Maryland
   James McHenry
  Dan of St   Thos. Jenifer 
  Danl Carroll.

Virginia
  John Blair—
  James Madison Jr.

North Carolina
  Wm Blount
  Richd. Dobbs Spaight.
  Hu Williamson

South Carolina
  J. Rutledge
  Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
  Charles Pinckney
  Pierce Butler.

Georgia
  William Few
  Abr Baldwin

New Hampshire
  John Langdon
  Nicholas Gilman

Massachusetts
  Nathaniel Gorham
  Rufus King

Connecticut
   Wm.   Saml. Johnson
  Roger Sherman

New York
  Alexander Hamilton

New Jersey
  Wil. Livingston
  David Brearley.
  Wm. Paterson. 
  Jona: Dayton

Pennsylvania
  B Franklin
  Thomas Mifflin
  Robt Morris
  Geo. Clymer
  Thos. FitzSimons 
  Jared Ingersoll 
  James Wilson. 
  Gouv Morris

Letter of Transmittal
skip to Letter of Transmittal to Congress   up to the Constitution
In Convention. Monday September 17th 1787.
Present
The States of
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut,
Mr. Hamilton from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia.
 Resolved, That the preceeding Constitution be laid
before the United States in Congress assembled, and
that it is the Opinion of this Convention, that it should
afterwards be submitted to a Convention of Delegates,
chosen in each State by the People thereof, under the
Recommendation of its Legislature, for their Assent and
Ratification; and that each Convention assenting to, and
ratifying the Same, should give Notice thereof to the
United States in Congress assembled. Resolved, That it
is the Opinion of this Convention, that as soon as the
Conventions of nine States shall have ratified this
Constitution, the United States in Congress assembled
should fix a Day on which Electors should be appointed
by the States which shall have ratified the same, and a
Day on which the Electors should assemble to vote for
the President, and the Time and Place for commencing
Proceedings under this Constitution. 
That after such Publication the Electors should be
appointed, and the Senators and Representatives
elected: That the Electors should meet on the Day fixed
for the Election of the President, and should transmit
their Votes certified, signed, sealed and directed, as the
Constitution requires, to the Secretary of the United
States in Congress assembled, that the Senators and
Representatives should convene at the Time and Place
assigned; that the Senators should appoint a President
of the Senate, for the sole Purpose of receiving, opening
and counting the Votes for President; and, that after he
shall be chosen, the Congress, together with the
President, should, without Delay, proceed to execute this
Constitution.

By the unanimous Order of the

  Convention
W. Jackson 
Go: Washington -Presidt.
Secretary.

Letter of Transmittal to the President of

Congress
skip to Amendments   up to Letter of Transmittal
In Convention.  Monday September 17th 1787.
SIR: 

We have now the honor to submit to the consideration of

the United States in Congress assembled, that
Constitution which has appeared to us the most
advisable. 

The friends of our country have long seen and desired

that the power of making war, peace, and treaties, that
of levying money, and regulating commerce, and the
correspondent executive and judicial authorities, should
be fully and effectually vested in the General
Government of the Union; but the impropriety of
delegating such extensive trust to one body of men is
evident: hence results the necessity of a different
organization. 

It is obviously impracticable in the Federal Government

of these States to secure all rights of independent
sovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and
safety of all. Individuals entering into society must give
up a share of liberty to preserve the rest. The magnitude
of the sacrifice must depend as well on situation and
circumstance, as on the object to be obtained. It is at all
times difficult to draw with precision the line between
those rights which must be surrendered, and those which
may be preserved; and, on the present occasion, this
difficulty was increased by a difference among the
several States as to their situation, extent, habits, and
particular interests. 

In all our deliberations on this subject, we kept steadily

in our view that which appears to us the greatest interest
of every true American, the consolidation of our Union, in
which is involved our prosperity, felicity, safety—perhaps
our national existence. This important consideration,
seriously and deeply impressed on our minds, led each
State in the Convention to be less rigid on points of
inferior magnitude than might have been otherwise
expected; and thus, the Constitution which we now
present is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that
mutual deference and concession, which the peculiarity
of our political situation rendered indispensable. 

That it will meet the full and entire approbation of every

State is not, perhaps, to be expected; but each will,
doubtless, consider, that had her interest alone been
consulted, the consequences might have been
particularly disagreeable or injurious to others; that it is
liable to as few exceptions as could reasonably have
been expected, we hope and believe; that it may
promote the lasting welfare of that Country so dear to us
all, and secure her freedom and happiness, is our most
ardent wish. 

    With great respect,

    we have the honor to be,
        SIR,
      your excellency's most obedient and humble
servants: 
    GEORGE WASHINGTON, President.
  By the unanimous order of the convention.
 His Excellency
  the President of Congress.

Amendments to the Constitution

skip to Notes   up to Letter of Transmittal to Congress
(The procedure for changing the United States
Constitution is Article V - Mode of Amendment)
(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.12
(Articles I through X are known as the Bill of
Rights)   ratified

-
Article the first. ....  After the first enumeration required
by the first Article of the Constitution, there shall be one
Representative for every thirty thousand, until the
number shall amount to one hundred, after which, the
proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there
shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor
less than one Representative for every forty thousand
persons, until the number of Representatives shall
amount to two hundred, after which the proportion shall
be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not be less
than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one
Representative for every fifty thousand persons.

-
Article the second. ....  No law, varying the
compensation for the services of the Senators and
Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of
Representatives shall have intervened. see Amendment XXVII

Article [I] (Amendment 1 - Freedom of expression and religion) 13

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 aredress of grievances.

Article [II] (Amendment 2 - Bearing Arms)

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.

Article [III] (Amendment 3 - Quartering Soldiers)

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.

Article [IV] (Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure)

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.

Article [V] (Amendment 5 - Rights of Persons)

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.

Article [VI] (Amendment 6 - Rights of Accused in Criminal

Prosecutions)
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.

Article [VII] (Amendment 7 - Civil Trials)

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.

Article [VIII] (Amendment 8 - Further Guarantees in Criminal Cases)

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

Article [IX] (Amendment 9 - Unenumerated Rights)

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

Article [X] (Amendment 10 - Reserved Powers)

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.

Attest,     Frederick Augustus

John Beckley, Clerk of Muhlenberg  Speaker of the
the House of House of Representatives.
Representatives. John Adams, Vice-President of
Sam. A. Otis  the United States, and
Secretary of the President of the Senate.
Senate.
(end of the Bill of Rights)

[Article XI] (Amendment 11 - Suits Against States)

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.   ratified  #11  affects  10

[Article XII] (Amendment 12 - Election of President)

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 the case of
the death or other constitutional disability of the
President.14  —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.  ratified  #12   affects  8

Article XIII (Amendment 13 - Slavery and Involuntary Servitude)

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. affects  11
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.   ratified  #13

Article XIV (Amendment 14 - Rights Guaranteed: Privileges and

Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal Protection)
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.
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-oneyears of age,15  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.   affects  2
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.
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.
5: The Congress shall have power to enforce, by
appropriate legislation, the provisions of this
article.   ratified  #14

Article XV (Amendment 15 - Rights of Citizens to Vote)

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.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.   ratified  #15

Article XVI (Amendment 16 - Income Tax)

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes
on incomes, from whatever source derived,
without apportionmentamong the several States, and
without regard to any census
or enumeration.   ratified  #16    affects  2

[Article XVII] (Amendment 17 - Popular Election of Senators)

1: The Senate of the United States shall be composed
of two Senators from each State, elected by the people
thereof, for sixyears; 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. affects  3
2: When vacancies happen in the representation of any
State in the Senate, the executive authority of such
State shall issuewrits 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. affects  4
3: 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.   ratified  #17

Article [XVIII] (Amendment 18 - Prohibition of Intoxicating

Liquors)16
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.
2: The Congress and the several States shall
have concurrent power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
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.   ratified  #18

Article [XIX] (Amendment 19 - Women's Suffrage Rights)

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 sex. affects  15
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.   ratified  #19

Article [XX] (Amendment 20 - Terms of President, Vice President,

Members of Congress: Presidential Vacancy)
1: The terms of the President and 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.   affects  5
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.   affects  5
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 elect 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.   affects  9    affects  14
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.  affects  9
5: Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day of
October following the ratification of this article.
6: This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have
been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by
the legislatures ofthree-fourths of the several States
 within seven years from the date of its
submission.   ratified  #20

Article [XXI] (Amendment 21 - Repeal of Eighteenth Amendment)

1: The eighteenth article of amendment to the
Constitution of the United States is hereby
repealed. affects  16
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.
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.   ratified  #21

Amendment XXII (Amendment 22 - Presidential Tenure)

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 the
President more than once. But this article shall not apply
to any person holding the office of President when this
article was proposed by the 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.
2: This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have
been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by
the legislatures ofthree-fourths of the several states
 within seven years from the date of its submission to the
states by the Congress.    ratified  #22

Amendment XXIII (Amendment 23 - Presidential Electors for the

District of Columbia)
1: The District constituting the seat of government of the
United States shall appoint in such manner as the
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.
2: The Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.   ratified  #23

Amendment XXIV (Amendment 24 - Abolition of the Poll Tax

Qualification in Federal Elections)
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 any poll tax or other tax.
2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.   ratified  #24

Amendment XXV  affects  9 (Amendment 25 - Presidential Vacancy,

Disability, and Inability)
1: In case of the removal of the President from office or
of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall
become President.
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.
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.
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, withintwenty-
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.   ratified  #25

Amendment XXVI (Amendment 26 - Reduction of Voting Age

Qualification)
1: The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18
years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied
or abridged by the United States or any state on account
of age. affects  15
2: The Congress shall have the power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.   ratified  #26

Amendment XXVII (Amendment 27 - Congressional Pay Limitation)

No law varying the compensation for the services of the
Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an
election of Representatives shall have intervened.
ratified  #27

NOTES
skip to Dates  up to Amendments

Note 1: This text of the Constitution follows

the engrossed copy signed by Gen. Washington and the
deputies from 12 States. The arabic numerals preceding
the paragraphs designate Clauses, and were not printed
(but are referred to) in the original and have no
reference to footnotes that appear as small superior
figures (superscripts). ratification
Note 2: The part of Article 1 Section 2 Clause 3 relating
to the mode of apportionment of representatives among
the several States has been affected by Amendment XIV
Section 2, and as to taxes on incomes
without apportionment by Amendment XVI.
Note 3: Article 1 Section 3 Clause 1 has been affected
by Amendment XVII Section 1.
Note 4: Article 1 Section 3 Clause 2 has been affected
by Amendment XVII Section 2.
Note 5: Article 1 Section 4 Clause 2 has been affected
by Amendment XX.
Note 6: Article 1 Section 6 Clause 1 has been affected
by Amendment XXVII.
Note 7: Article 1 Section 9 Clause 4 has been affected
by Amendment XVI.
Note 8: Article 2 Section 1 Clause 3 has been superseded
by Amendment XII.
Note 9: Article 2 Section 1 Clause 6 has been affected
by Amendment XX and Amendment XXV.
Note 10: Article 3 Section 2 Clause 1 has been affected
by Amendment XI.
Note 11: Article 4 Section 2 Clause 3 has been affected
by Amendment XIII Section 1.
Note 12: The first ten amendments to the Constitution of
the United States are known as the Bill of Rights
Note 13: The Bill of Rights only had ten of the twelve
articles ratified and these were then renumbered. Of the
others only the13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th articles of
 amendment had numbers assigned to them at the time
of ratification.
Note 14: This sentence of Amendment XII has been
superseded by Amendment XX Section 3.
Note 15: Article XIV Section 2 is modified by Amendment
XIX Section 1 and Amendment XXVI Section 1.
Note 16: Amendment XVIII repealed by Amendment XXI
Section 1.

Dates
skip to Spellings  up to Notes

 May 25, 1787: The Constitutional Convention opens

with a quorum of seven states in Philadelphia to discuss
revising the Articles of Confederation. Eventually all
states but Rhode Island are represented.
 Sept. 17, 1787: All 12 state delegations approve the
Constitution, 39 delegates sign it of the 42 present, and
the Convention formally adjourns.
 June 21, 1788: The Constitution becomes effective for
the ratifying states when New Hampshire is the ninth
state to ratify it.
 Mar. 4, 1789: The first Congress under the
Constitution convenes in New York City.
 Apr. 30, 1789: George Washington is inaugurated as
the first President of the United States.
 June 8, 1789: James Madison introduces proposed Bill
of Rights in the House of Representatives.
 Sept. 24, 1789: Congress establishes a Supreme
Court, 13 district courts, three ad hoc circuit courts, and
the position of Attorney General.
 Sept. 25, 1789: Congress approves 12 amendments
and sends them to the states for ratification.
 Feb.  2, 1790: Supreme Court convenes for the first
time after an unsuccessful attempt February 1.
 Dec. 15, 1791: Virginia ratifies the Bill of Rights, and
10 of the 12 proposed amendments become part of the
U.S. Constitution.

Spellings
skip to Vocabulary   up to Dates
Some words now have different spellings:
behaviour
- behavior
chuse
- choose
chusing
- choosing
controul
- control
defence
- defense
encreased
- increased
erazure
- erasure
labour
- labor
offences
- offenses
Punctuation, hyphenation and grammar usage have also
changed.
 Vocabulary
skip to Sources   up to Spellings
Also check the Government Printing Office's Ben's Guide
for Kids

3d
- 3rd (third)
abridged
- shortened
adjourn
- suspend proceedings to another time
adjournment
- suspending proceedings to another time
appellate
- appeal (review decision)
appropriation
- authorize spending
apportioned
- distributed
apportionment
- distributing
attainted
- disgrace
Bill of Attainder
- legislative act pronouncing guilt without trial
capitation
- poll tax
cession
- grant
comity
- courteous recognition of laws and institutions of
another (state)
commenced
 - started
concur
- agree
concurrant
- at the same time
concurrence
- agreement
concurring
- in agreement
construed
- interpreted
Corruption of Blood
- punishment of person and heirs
counsel
- lawyer
declaratory
- explaining law or right
democracy
- this word is not in these documents directly, but “We
the people” and “Republican Form of Government” are
- most people say our form of government is a “Federal
Democratic Republic”
devolved
- passed on or delegated to another
disparage
- belittle
duties
- job
duties
- charge (like a tax)
duty
- job
duty
 - charge (like a tax)
Duty of Tonnage
- charge by weight
emolument
- power and/or pay
emoluments
- power and/or pay
engrossed
- final draft
enumeration
- count or list
ex post facto
- (latin)  after the fact
excises
- internal taxes
Habeas Corpus
- a writ in court for release of unlawful restraint
- (latin)  produce body [of evidence]
imminent
- about to occur - do not confuse with eminent or
immanent
impeachment
- formal accusation of wrongdoing
impeachments
- formal accusations of wrongdoing
imposts
- taxes or duties, that are imposed
indictment
- formal charges
jurisdiction
- right to control
Letters of Marque
 - (grant right of piracy) - document issued by a nation
allowing a private citizen to seize citizens or goods of
another nation
magazines
- ammunition storerooms
ordain
- order
prescribed
- establish a rule
privileged
- rights given a group
pro tempore
- temporary - (latin)  for a time
posterity
- descendants
quartered
- housed
quartering
- housing
quorum
- minimum valid number of people
redress
- correct a wrong
repassed
- passed again
reprisal
- retaliation
republican
- representative and officers elected by citizens and
responsible to them
suffrage
- vote
- voting
 tranquility
- peace
treason
- betrayal of country
vessels
- ships
vested
- given the right
viz.
- abbreviation for (latin)  videlicet - namely (and when
read aloud spoken as namely) from: The Columbia
Guide to Standard American English
welfare
- well-being
writ
- order
writs
- orders
How to read Roman numerals:

 The upper case letter I represents the arabic 1.

 The upper case letter V represents the arabic 5.
 The upper case letter X represents the arabic 10.
 The upper case letter L represents the arabic 50. (not
used in this document)
 The upper case letter C represents the arabic 100. (not
used in this document)
 The upper case letter D represents the arabic 500. (not
used in this document)
 The upper case letter M represents the arabic 1,000.
(not used in this document)
 A bar placed over a letter or group of letters multiplies
that value by 1,000. (not used in this document)
 If the letter to the right represents an equal or smaller
value the numbers ADD. XXII is 22.
 If the letter to the right is a larger value then the
numbers SUBTRACT. IV is 4. Only I is used
with V or X, X with L or C, andC with D or M.
 There is no zero!
 Both C and M often still appear in commerce mixed
with arabic therefore if someone orders a quantity of 5M,
they want 5,000 not 5 million.
 A few more samples: XCV = 95, XIII = 13, XCIX =
99, XLIX = 49
If supported in the browser, hovering the cursor over the
Roman number in this document will display the arabic
equivalent for a short time. 

Given (first) name abbreviations:

George
- Go:
- Geo:
- Geo.
Jacob
- Jaco:
Daniel
- Dan
- Danl
William
- Wm
- Wm.
- Wil.
Richard
- Richd
John
- J.
 Abraham
- Abr
Samuel
- Saml
- Sam.
Johnathan
- Jona:
Robert
- Robt
Thomas
- Thos
Gouverneur
- Gouv
Of course B Franklin is Benjamin Franklin, jun and Jr. are junior,
and Presidt. is President.

See the following sources:

skip to How to use   up to Vocabulary

(Links open a new window - Not responsible for the content

of any outside links)

 US Government archives - includes images of the

documents and biographies of the signers
 Federalist Papers - these 85 essays may be the best
source of what the framers of the constitution had in
mind.
 White House - kid's page - same as the first one above
at the government archives.
 Ben's Guide for Kids Spanish & French versions and
some history
 Federal Citizen Information Center
Other versions (NOT used as source material, only listed for
your further reference):
  The U.S. Constitution at Cornell Law School
 Exact-size reproduction of the first public printing of
the U.S. Constitution as it appeared in the September
19, 1787 issue of the Pennsylvania Packet remember at
this time often the letter s was often printed as letter
that is very similar to f(Warn: pop-up ads)
 Lesson Plans at the Library of Congress

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 The Bill of Rights had twelve numbered articles but only
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 A note for anyone looking at the image of the Bill of
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the letter f. The typical usage rules in this period seem to
be that the elongated s is the main lower case s unless
at the end of a word or the second s of a pair. Today the
elongated s ( ∫ ) is typically only used in mathematical
formulae as the notation for integral. There is a story
that Shakespeare who spelled his own name Shakspere
 or Shakspeare gained the extra e when a typesetter had
trouble fitting the elongated s next to the k.
To Constitution  or To Amendments,  To Index (access key I) 
or Subject Index (access key S)

Why another web version?

 Yes there are about 2,000 or so online versions. And

about a 100 times that as partial versions. The better of
some of the others are listed above in Sources.
 This is built for ease of use. With the built-in
vocabulary it's hoped that it can be used as well by kids,
and those for which english is not the first language with
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variations as well as ratifications.
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Jumping from Articles to Amendments that modify them
to ratification information in any order.
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clause or amendment for someone else to be able to see
in context with annotation available to that reader.

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Accessibility
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for U.S. Section 508 compliance with Cynthia Saystm Portal
Some of the challenges that may still be present are:

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is given and in most modern visual user agents
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Index
skip to Subject Index   up to Accessibility

 THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

o (Preamble)
o Article I - The Legislative
 Section 1 - Congress
 Section 2 - The House of Representatives
 Clause 1 - Congressional Districting
 Clause 2 - Qualification of Members
of Congress
 Clause 3 - Apportionment of Seats
in the House
 Clause 4 - Vacancies
 Clause 5 - Officers and Power
of Impeachment
 Section 3 - The Senate
 Clause 1 - Composition and
Selection
 Clause 2 - Classes of Senators
 Clause 3 - Qualifications
 Clause 4 - The Vice President
 Clause 5 - Officers
 Clause 6 - Trial of Impeachment
 Clause 7 - Judgments
on Impeachment
 Section 4 - Elections
 Clause 1 - Congressional Power to
Regulate
 Clause 2 - Time of Assembling
 Section 5 - Powers and Duties of the
House
 Clause 1 - Power to Judge Elections
 Clause 2 - Rules of Proceedings
 Clause 3 - Duty to Keep a Journal
 Clause 4 - Adjournments
 Section 6 - Rights and Disabilities of
Members
 Clause 1 - Compensation and
Immunities
 Clause 2 - Disabilities
 Section 7 - Legislative Process
 Clause 1 - Revenue Bills
 Clause 2 - Approval by the President
 Clause 3 - Presentation of
Resolutions
 Section 8 - Powers of Congress
 Clause 1 - Power to Tax and Spend
 Clause 2 - Borrowing Power
 Clause 3- Commerce Power
 Clause 4 - Naturalization and
Bankruptcies
 Clause 5 - Money
 Clause 6 - Money
 Clause 7 - Post Office
 Clause 8 - Copyrights and Patent
 Clause 9- Creating of Courts
 Clause 10 - Maritime Crimes
 Clause 11 - War; Military
Establishment
  Clause 12 - War; Military
Establishment
 Clause 13 - War; Military
Establishment
 Clause 14 - War; Military
Establishment
 Clause 15 - The Militia
 Clause 16 - The Militia
 Clause 17 - District of Columbia;
Federal Property
 Clause 18 - Necessary Clause
 Section 9 - Powers Denied Congress
 Clause 1 - Importation of Slaves
 Clause 2 - Habeas Corpus 
Suspension
 Clause 3 - Bill of Attainder and Ex
Post Facto Laws
 Clause 4 - Taxes
 Clause 5 - Duties on Exports from
States
 Clause 6- Preference to Ports
 Clause 7- Appropriations and
Accounting of Public Money
 Clause 8 - Titles of Nobility;
Presents
 Section 10 - Powers Denied to the States
 Clause 1 - Not to Make Treaties,
Coin Money, Pass Ex Post Facto Laws, Impair
Contracts
 Clause 2 - Not to Levy Duties on
Exports and Imports
 Clause 3 - Not to Lay
Tonnage Duties, Keep Troops, Make Compacts, or
Engage in War
o Article II - Executive
  Section 1 - The President
 Clause 1 - Powers and Term of the
President
 Clause 2 - Election
 Clause 3 - Election
 Clause 4 - Election
 Clause 5 - Qualifications
 Clause 6 - Presidential Succession
 Clause 7 - Compensation
and Emolument
 Clause 8 - Oath of Office
 Section 2 - Powers and Duties of the
President
 Clause 1 - Commander-in-Chiefship;
Presidential Advisers;
 Clause 2 - Treaties and Appointment
of Officers
 Clause 3 - Vacancies during Recess
of Senate
 Section 3 - Legislative, Diplomatic, and
Law Enforcement
 Section 4 - Impeachment
o Article III - Judicial
 Section 1 - Judicial Power, Courts, Judges
 Section 2 - Judicial Power and Jurisdiction
 Clause 1 - Cases and Controversies;
Grants of Jurisdiction
 Clause 2 - Original and
Appellate Jurisdiction; Exceptions and Regulations
of Appellate Jurisdiction
 Clause 3 - Trial by Jury
 Section 3 - Treason
 Clause 1 - Definition and Limitations
 Clause 2 - Punishment
 o Article IV - States' Relations
 Section 1 - Full Faith and Credit
 Section 2 - Interstate Comity
 Clause 1 - State Citizenship:
Privileges and Immunities
 Clause 2 - Interstate Rendition
 Clause 3 - Fugitives from Labor
 Section 3 - Admission of New States to
Union; Property of United State
 Clause 1 - Admission of New States
to Union
 Clause 2 - Property of the United
States
 Section 4 - Obligations of United States to
States
o Article V - Mode of Amendment
o Article VI - Prior Debts, National Supremacy,
Oaths of Office
 Clause 1 - Validity of Prior Debts and
Engagements
 Clause 2 - Supremacy of the Constitution,
Laws and Treaties
 Clause 3 - Oath of Office
o Article VII - Ratification
o Letter of Transmittal
o Letter of Transmittal to the President of Congress
 Amendments to the Constitution
o (The Preamble to The Bill of Rights)
o (Articles I through X are known as the Bill of
Rights)
 Article [I] - Freedom of expression and
religion
 Article [II] - Bearing Arms
 Article [III] - Quartering Soldiers
  Article [IV] - Search and Seizure
 Article [V] - Rights of Persons
 Article [VI] - Rights of Accused in Criminal
Prosecutions
 Article [VII] - Civil Trials
 Article [VIII] - Further Guarantees in
Criminal Cases
 Article [IX] - Unenumerated Rights
 Article [X] - Reserved Powers
o [Article XI] - Suits Against States
o [Article XII] - Election of President
o Article XIII - Slavery and Involuntary Servitude
 Section 1 - Slavery and Involuntary
Servitude
 Section 2 - Enforcement
o Article XIV - Rights Guaranteed: Privileges and
Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal
Protection
 Section 1 - Rights Guaranteed
 Section 2 - Apportionment of
Representation
 Section 3 - Disqualification and Public Debt
 Section 4 - Disqualification and Public Debt
 Section 5 - Enforcement
o Article XV - Rights of Citizens to Vote
o Article XVI - Income Tax
o [Article XVII] - Popular Election of Senators
 Section 1
 Section 2
 Section 3
o Article [XVIII] - Prohibition of Intoxicating Liquor
 Section 1 - Prohibition of Intoxicating
Liquors
  Section 2 - Congress and the several
States shall have concurrent power
 Section 3 - Ratification
o Article [XIX] - Women's Suffrage Rights
 Section 1 - Women's Suffrage Rights
 Section 2 - Enforcement
o Article [XX] - Terms of President, Vice President,
Members of Congress: Presidential Vacancy
 Section 1 - Terms of President, Vice
President, Senators, and Representatives
 Section 2 - Time of assembling Congress
 Section 3 - Filling vacancy in office of
President
 Section 4 - Power of Congress in
Presidential succession
 Section 5 - Time of taking effect
 Section 6 - Ratification
o Article [XXI] - Repeal of Eighteenth Amendment
 Section 1 - Repeal
of Eighteenth Amendment
 Section 2 - Transportation of intoxicating
liquors
 Section 3 - Ratification
o Amendment XXII - Presidential Tenure
 Section 1 - Presidential Tenure
 Section 2 - Enforcement
o Amendment XXIII - Presidential Electors for the
District of Columbia
 Section 1 - Presidential Electors for the
District of Columbia
 Section 2 - Enforcement
o Amendment XXIV - Abolition of the Poll Tax
Qualification in Federal Elections
 o Amendment XXV - Presidential Vacancy,
Disability, and Inability
o Amendment XXVI - Reduction of Voting Age
Qualification
 Section 1 - Reduction of Voting Age
Qualification
 Section 2 - Enforcement
o Amendment XXVII - Congressional Pay
Limitation
 NOTES
o Note 1: Original source of the Constitution text.
o Note 2: Article 1 Section 2 Clause 3 modified
by Amendment XIV, and Amendment XVI.
o Note 3: Article 1 Section 3 Clause 1 has been
affected by Amendment XVII.
o Note 4: Article 1 Section 3 Clause 2 modified
by Amendment XVII.
o Note 5: Article 1 Section 4 Clause 2 modified
by Amendment XX.
o Note 6: Article 1 Section 6 Clause 1 modified
by Amendment XXVII.
o Note 7: Article 1 Section 9 Clause 4 modified
by Amendment XVI.
o Note 8: Article 2 Section 1 Clause 3 superseded
by amendment XII.
o Note 9: Article 2 Section 1 Clause 6 modified
by amendment XX and amendment XXV.
o Note 10: Article 3 Section 2 Clause 1 modified
by amendment XI.
o Note 11: Article 4 Section 2 Clause 3 modified
by amendment XIII.
o Note 12: The Bill of Rights
o Note 13: Only the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th
numbered at ratification.
 o Note 14: Part of Amendment XII superseded
by Amendment XX.
o Note 15: Article XIV is modified by Amendment
XIX and Amendment XXVI.
o Note 16: Amendment XVIII repealed
by Amendment XXI.
 Dates - Milestone dates for the constitution, bill of
rights and the start of the U.S. government.
 Spellings
 Vocabulary
 Sources
 How to use this version
 Accessibility
 Index
 Subject Index
 Sample code to link from your own web site or email
 Ratifications
o Jun 21, 1788 Constitution
o Dec 15, 1791 (Articles I through X are known as
the Bill of Rights)
 Article [I] - Freedom of expression and
religion
 Article [II] - Bearing Arms
 Article [III] - Quartering Soldiers
 Article [IV] - Search and Seizure
 Article [V] - Rights of Persons
 Article [VI] - Rights of Accused in Criminal
Prosecutions
 Article [VII] - Civil Trials
 Article [VIII] - Further Guarantees in
Criminal Cases
 Article [IX] - Unenumerated Rights
 Article [X] - Reserved Powers
o Feb 7, 1795 [Article XI] - Suits Against States
 o Jun 15, 1804 [Article XII] - Election of President
o Dec 6, 1865 Article XIII - Slavery and
Involuntary Servitude
o Jul 9, 1868 Article XIV - Rights Guaranteed:
Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process,
and Equal Protection
o Feb 3, 1870 Article XV - Rights of Citizens to
Vote
o Feb 3, 1913 Article XVI - Income Tax
o Apr 8, 1913 [Article XVII] - Popular Election of
Senators
o Jan 16, 1919 Article [XVIII] - Prohibition of
Intoxicating Liquors
o Aug 18, 1920 Article [XIX] -
Women's Suffrage Rights
o Jan 23, 1933 Article [XX] - Terms of President,
Vice President, Members of Congress: Presidential
Vacancy
o Mar 21, 1947 Article [XXI] - Repeal
of Eighteenth Amendment
o Feb 27, 1951 Amendment XXII - Presidential
Tenure
o Mar 29, 1961 Amendment XXIII - Presidential
Electors for the District of Columbia
o Jan 24, 1964 Amendment XXIV - Abolition of
the Poll Tax Qualification in Federal Elections
o Feb 10, 1967 Amendment XXV - Presidential
Vacancy, Disability, and Inability
o Jul 1, 1971 Amendment XXVI - Reduction of
Voting Age Qualification
o May 7, 1992 Amendment XXVII - Congressional
Pay Limitation
 Copyright and Contact
 Outside navigation
  HTML and CSS validation
 Labeling

Subject Index
skip to Sample code  up to Index
Select first letter of
subject:  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A

 Admiralty and; maritime cases - Article III Section 2

 Advice and consent - Article II Section 2 Clause 2
 Age, as qualification for public office
o President - Article II Section 1 Clause 5
o Representatives - Article I Section 2 Clause 2
o Senators - Article I Section 3 Clause 3
 Age, voting - Amendement XXVI
 Ambassadors
o Case controversies - Article III Section 2 Clause
1
o President's power - Article II Section 2 Clause
2; Article II Section 3
 Amendment procedure - Article V
 Appellate jurisdiction - Article III Section 2 Clause 2
 Appointment power - Article II Section 2 Clause 2
 Appointments, temporary - Amendement XVII Section
2
 Apportionment of representatives - Article I Section 2
Clause 3; Amendment XIV Section 2
 Appropriations(s) - Article I Section 8
 Arms, right to bear - Amendement II
 Army - Article II Section 2 Clause 1
 Assembly, right of - Amendement l
 Authors - Article I Section 8 Clause 8
to top of Subject Index
B

 Bail, excessive - Amendement 8

 Bankruptcy, Congress, power - Article I Section 8
Clause 4
 Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10) - Amendments I-X
 Bills - Article I Section 7
 Bills of attainder - Article I Section 9 Clause 3; Article I
Section 10 Clause 1
 Borrowing, Congress, power - Article I Section 8 Clause
2
to top of Subject Index
C

 Cabinet officers, reports - Article II Section 2 Clause 1

 Census - Article I Section 2 Clause 3
 Chief Justice, role in impeachment trials - Article I
Section 3 Clause 6
 Commander in Chief - Article II Section 2 Clause 1
 Commerce, Congress, power - Article I Section 8
Clause 3
 Commission of officers - Article II Section 3 Clause 5
 Compact - Article I Section 10 Clause 3
 Congress
o annual meetings - Article I Section 4 Clause 2;
o declaring war - Article I Section 8 Clauses 11-14
o legislative proceedings - Article I Section 5
Clause 2
o members, compensation and privileges - Article I
Section 6 Clause 1;
o organization - Article I Section 1
o powers - Article I Section 8; Amendement XII
o special sessions - Article II Section 3
 Congressional Record (Journal) - Article I Section 5
Clause 3
  Constitution, purpose - Preamble
 Contracts, interference by states - Article I Section 10
Clause 3
 Controversies, court cases - Article III Section 2 Clause
1
 Conventions - Article V;VII; Amendement 21 Section 3
 Copyrights & patents, Congress' power - Article I
Section 8 Clause 8
 Counsel, right to - Amendement 6
 Counterfeiting, Congress' power to punish - Article I
Section 8 Clause 6
 Courts - (see Judiciary)
 Criminal proceedings, rights of accused - Amendement
5; Amendement 6
 Currency, Congress' power - Article I Section 8 Clause
5
to top of Subject Index
D

 Defense, Congress' power - Article I Section 8

 District of Columbia - Article I Section 8 Clause
17; Amendement XXIII Section 1
 Double jeopardy - Amendement V
 Due process of law - Amendement V; Amendement XIV
Section 1
to top of Subject Index
E

 Electoral College - Article II Section 1 Clause

4; Amendement XII; Amendement XXIII Section 1
 Equal protection of laws - Amendement 14 Section 1
 Equity - Article III Section 2 Clause 1; Amendement 11
 Ex post facto laws - Article I Section 9 Clause 3; Article
I Section 10 Clause 1
  Extradition of fugitives by states - Article IV Section 2
Clause 2
to top of Subject Index
F

 Fines, excessive - Amendement VIII

 Foreign affairs, President's power - Article II Section 2
Clause 2
 Foreign commerce, Congress' power - Article I Section
8 Clause 1
 Full faith and credit" clause - Article IV Section 1
to top of Subject Index
G

 General welfare, Congress' power - Article I Section 8

Clause 1
 Grand jury indictments - Amendement V
 Grievances, redress of - Amendement I
to top of Subject Index
H

 Habeas corpus - Article I Section 9 Clause 2

 House of Representatives
o election to & eligibility for - Article I Section 2
Clause 2
o members' terms of office - Article I Section 2
Clause 1; Article I Section 6 Clause 2
o Speaker of - Article I Section 2 Clause
5; Amendement 24; Amendement 25
o special powers
 impeachment - Article I Section 2 Clause 5
 Presidential elections - Article II Section 1
Clause 3; Amendement 12
 revenue bills - Article I Section 7 Clause 1
  states' representation in - Article I Section
2 Clause 1; Article I Section 2 Clause 3
o vacancies - Article I Section 2 Clause 4
to top of Subject Index
I

 Immunities (see Privileges and immunities)

 Impeachment
o officials subject to - Article II Section 4
o penalties - Article I Section 3 Clause 7
o power of, lodged in House - Article I Section 2
Clause 5
o reasons - Article II Section 4
o trials, Senate - Article I Section 3 Clause 6
 Indians, commerce with, Congress' power - Article I
Section 8 Clause 3
 Inhabitant (see Resident) - Article I Section 2 Clause
2; Article I Section 3 Clause 3
 International law, Congress' power - Article I Section 8
Clause 3
 Inventors - Article I Section 8 Clause 8
to top of Subject Index
J

 Judiciary
o inferior courts - Article I Section 8 Clause
9; Article III Section 1
o judicial review - Article III Section 2 Clause 2
o jurisdiction - Article III Section 2 Section 2
o nomination & confirmation of judges - Article II
Section 2 Clause 2
o Supreme Court - Article III Section 1
o terms of office & compensation - Article III
Section 1
  Jury trials - Article III Section 2 Clause 3; Amendment
VI; Amendment VII
to top of Subject Index
L

 “Lame duck” amendment - Amendment XX

 Liquor - Amendment XVIII; Amendment XXI
to top of Subject Index
M

 Marque and reprisal, letters of - Article I Section 8

Clause 11
 Men (see Persons)
 Militia (Military) - Amendment II; Amendment V
o congressional powers - Article I Section 8 Clause
15
o presidential powers - Article II Section 2 Clause
1
 Money - Article I Section 8 Clause 5-6
to top of Subject Index
N

 National debt - Article VI Clause 1

 Native Americans (see Indians)
 Naturalization - Article I Section 8 Clause 4
 Navy - Article I Section 8 Clause 13-14; Article II
Section 2 Clause 1
 “Necessary and proper” clause - Article I Section 8
Clause 18
 Nominate - Article II Section 2 Clause 2; Amendment
XXV
to top of Subject Index
O

 Oath of office, federal and state - Article II Section 1

Clause 8; Article VI
  Original jurisdiction - Article III Section 2 Clause 2
to top of Subject Index
P

 (subject index still being added)

 Pardons and reprieves, President's power - Article II
Section 2 Clause 1
 People, powers reserved to - Amendment X
 Persons - Amendment XIV
 Petition the government, right to - Amendment I
 “Pocket veto” - Article I Section 7 Clause 2
 Poll tax, prohibition - Amendment XXIV
 Post offices & roads, Congress' power - Article I Section
8 Clause 7
 Presidency, succession to - Article II Section
1; Amendement 20; Amendement 25
 President
o disability - A25,3
o election - Article II Section 1; Amendement
12; Amendement 22; Amendement 23
o eligibility for office - Article II Section 1
o legislation, role in - Article I Section 7
o oath of office - Article II Section 1
o powers & duties - Article IV Section 2
o term of office & compensation - Article II Section
1
 Press, freedom of - A1
 Privileges and immunities (of citizens) - Article IV
Section 2; Amendement 14 Section 1
 Prohibition - Amendement 18; Amendement 21
 Property, taking for public use - Amendement 5
 Punishments, cruel and unusual - Amendement 8
to top of Subject Index
R
  Ratification of Constitution - Article V
 Religion, freedom of - Amendment I
 Religious oaths - Article VI
 Resident (see Inhabitant) - Article II Section 1 Clause 5
to top of Subject Index
S

 Search and seizure - Amendement 4

 Seas, Congress' power - Article I Section 8
 Secrecy - Article I Section 5
 Self-incrimination - Amendement 5
 Senate
o election to & eligibility for - Article I Section 3
o equal representation of states - V
o officers - Article I Section 3
o President of - Article I Section 3;Amendement 12
o President of, pro tempore - Article I Section
3;Amendement 25
o special powers
 impeachment trials - Article I Section 3
 Presidential appointments - Article II
Section 2
 treaties - Article II Section 2
o terms of office - Article I Section 3; Article I
Section 6
o vacancies - Amendement 17
 Slavery, prohibition - Amendement 13; A14,4
 Soldiers, quartering of - Amendement 3
 Speech, freedom of - A1
 Spending, Congress' power - Article I Section 8
 State of Union message - Article II Section 3
 States
 and federal elections - Article I Section 4
 formation & admission to Union - Article IV Section 3
  powers requiring consent of Congress - Article I Section
10
 powers reserved to - Amendement 10
 protection against invasion, violence - Article IV Section
4
 republican form of government guaranteed - Article IV
Section 4
 suits against - Article III Section 2; Amendement 11
 Sundays - Article I Section 7
 Supreme law of the land (Constitution) - VI
to top of Subject Index
T

 Taxing power
o in general - Article I Section 7 Clause 1; Article I
Section 8 Clause 1
o direct taxes prohibited - Article I Section 9
Clause 4
o income taxes permitted - Amendment XVI
 Territories - Article IV Section 3 Clause 2
 Titles of nobility - Article I Section 9 Clause 8
 Treason - Article III Section 3
 Treaty(ies) - Article I Section 10 Clause 1; Article II
Section 2 Clause 2; Article III Section 2 Clause 1; Article
VI Clause 2
 Trial - Article I Section 3 Clause 6-7; Article III Section
2 Clause 3; Amendment VI; Amendment VII
to top of Subject Index
V

 Veto, President's power - Article I Section 7 Clause 2

 Vice-President
o conditions for assuming Presidency - Article II
Section 1 Clause 6; Amendement XX Section
3; Amendment XXV
 o declaring President disabled, role in
- Amendement XX Section 4; Amendment XXV
o succession to - Amendement XX Section
4; Amendment XXV
o Senate, role in - Article I Section 3 Clause
4; Amendment XII
o term of office - Article II Section 1 Clause 1
 Voting rights - Amendment XIV; Amendment XXIV
o blacks, former slaves - Amendment XV
o eighteen-years-old - Amendement XXVI Section
1
o women - Amendement XIX Section 1
to top of Subject Index
W

 War powers (see Congress, declaring

war, powers; President, powers &
duties; States, protection against invasion)
 Warrants - Amendement IV
 Weights and measures, standards of - Article I Section
8 Clause 5
 Women - (see Persons)
to top of Subject Index

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Ratifications
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The Constitution
The Constitution was adopted by a convention of the
States on September 17, 1787, and was subsequently
ratified by the several States, on the following dates: 
Delaware, December 7, 1787; Pennsylvania,
December 12, 1787; New Jersey, December 18, 1787;
Georgia, January 2, 1788; Connecticut, January 9, 1788;
Massachusetts, February 6, 1788; Maryland, April 28,
1788; South Carolina, May 23, 1788; New Hampshire,
June 21, 1788.
Ratification was completed on June 21, 1788.
The Constitution was subsequently ratified by Virginia,
June 25, 1788; New York, July 26, 1788; North Carolina,
November 21, 1789; Rhode Island, May 29, 1790; and
Vermont, January 10, 1791.
In May 1785, a committee of Congress made a report
recommending an alteration in the Articles of
Confederation, but no action was taken on it, and it was
left to the State Legislatures to proceed in the matter. In
January 1786, the Legislature of Virginia passed a
resolution providing for the appointment
of five commissioners, who, or any three of them, should
meet such commissioners as might be appointed in the
other States of the Union, at a time and place to be
agreed upon, to take into consideration the trade of the
United States; to consider how far a uniform system in
their commercial regulations may be necessary to their
common interest and their permanent harmony; and to
report to the several States such an act, relative to this
great object, as, when ratified by them, will enable the
United States in Congress effectually to provide for the
same. The Virginia commissioners, after some
correspondence, fixed the first Monday in September as
the time, and the city of Annapolis as the place for the
meeting, but only four other States were
represented, viz:  Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania; the commissioners appointed by
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and
Rhode Island failed to attend. Under the circumstances
of so partial a representation, the commissioners present
agreed upon a report, (drawn by Mr. Hamilton, of New
York,) expressing their unanimous conviction that it
might essentially tend to advance the interests of the
Union if the States by which they were respectively
delegated would concur, and use their endeavors to
procure the concurrenceof the other States, in the
appointment of commissioners to meet at Philadelphia on
the Second Monday of May following, to take into
consideration the situation of the United States; to
devise such further provisions as should appear to them
necessary to render the Constitution of the Federal
Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union;
and to report such an act for that purpose to the United
States in Congress assembled as, when agreed to by
them and afterwards confirmed by the Legislatures of
every State, would effectually provide for the same.
Congress, on the 21st of February, 1787, adopted a
resolution in favor of a convention, and the Legislatures
of those States which had not already done so (with the
exception of Rhode Island) promptly appointed
delegates. On the 25th of May, sevenStates having
convened, George Washington, of Virginia, was
unanimously elected President, and the consideration of
the proposed constitution was commenced. On the 17th
of September, 1787, the Constitution as engrossed and
agreed upon was signed by all the members present,
except Mr. Gerry of Massachusetts, and Messrs. Mason
and Randolph, of Virginia. The president of the
convention transmitted it to Congress, with a resolution
stating how the proposed Federal Government should be
put in operation, and an explanatory letter. Congress, on
the 28th of September, 1787, directed the Constitution
so framed, with the resolutions and letter concerning the
same, to “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.”
On the 4th of March, 1789, the day which had been fixed
for commencing the operations of Government under the
new Constitution, it had been ratified by the conventions
chosen in each State to consider it, as follows: 
Delaware, December 7, 1787; Pennsylvania,
December 12, 1787; New Jersey, December 18, 1787;
Georgia, January 2, 1788; Connecticut, January 9, 1788;
Massachusetts, February 6, 1788; Maryland, April 28,
1788; South Carolina, May 23, 1788; New Hampshire,
June 21, 1788; Virginia, June 25, 1788; and New York,
July 26, 1788.
The President informed Congress, on the 28th of
January, 1790, that North Carolina had ratified the
Constitution November 21, 1789; and he informed
Congress on the 1st of June, 1790, that Rhode Island
had ratified the Constitution May 29, 1790. Vermont, in
convention, ratified the Constitution January 10, 1791,
and was, by an act of Congress approved February 18,
1791, “received and admitted into this Union as a new
and entire member of the United States”.   Constitution

[Article I] through [Article X] (The Bill of Rights)

The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the
United States (and two others, one of which failed of
ratification and the other which later became the 27th
amendment) were proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by the First Congress on September 25,
1789. The first ten amendments were ratified by the
following States, and the notifications of ratification by
the Governors thereof were successively communicated
by the President to Congress: New Jersey, November 20,
1789; Maryland, December 19, 1789; North Carolina,
December 22, 1789; South Carolina, January 19, 1790;
New Hampshire, January 25, 1790; Delaware,
January 28, 1790; New York, February 24, 1790;
Pennsylvania, March 10, 1790; Rhode Island, June 7,
1790; Vermont, November 3, 1791; and Virginia,
December 15, 1791.
Ratification was completed on December 15, 1791.
The amendments were subsequently ratified by the
legislatures of Massachusetts, March 2, 1939; Georgia,
March 18, 1939; and Connecticut, April 19, 1939.   Bill of
Rights

[Article XI]
The eleventh amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theThird Congress, on the 4th of March
1794; and was declared in a message from the President
to Congress, dated the 8th of January, 1798, to have
been ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the
States. The dates of ratification were:  NewYork, March
27, 1794; Rhode Island, March 31, 1794; Connecticut,
May 8, 1794; New Hampshire, June 16, 1794;
Massachusetts, June 26, 1794; Vermont, between
October 9, 1794 and November 9, 1794; Virginia,
November 18, 1794; Georgia, November 29, 1794;
Kentucky, December 7, 1794; Maryland, December 26,
1794; Delaware, January 23, 1795; North Carolina,
February 7, 1795.
Ratification was completed on February 7, 1795.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by
South Carolina on December 4, 1797. New Jersey and
Pennsylvania did not take action on the
amendment.   amendment 11

[Article XII]
The twelfth amendment to the Constitution of the United
States was proposed to the legislatures of the several
States by theEighth Congress, on the 9th of December,
1803, in lieu of the original third paragraph of
the first section of the second article; and was declared
in a proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated the
25th of September, 1804, to have been ratified by the
legislatures of 13 of the 17 States. The dates of
ratification were: North Carolina, December 21, 1803;
Maryland, December 24, 1803; Kentucky, December 27,
1803; Ohio, December 30, 1803; Pennsylvania,
January 5, 1804; Vermont, January 30, 1804; Virginia,
February 3, 1804; New York, February 10, 1804;
New Jersey, February 22, 1804; Rhode Island, March 12,
1804; South Carolina, May 15, 1804; Georgia, May 19,
1804; New Hampshire, June 15, 1804.
Ratification was completed on June 15, 1804.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by Tennessee,
July 27, 1804.
The amendment was rejected by Delaware, January 18,
1804; Massachusetts, February 3, 1804; Connecticut, at
its session begun May 10, 1804.   amendment 12

Article XIII
The thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theThirty-eighth Congress, on the 31st
day of January, 1865, and was declared, in a
proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated the 18th of
December, 1865, to have been ratified by the
legislatures of twenty-seven of the thirty-six States. The
dates of ratification were:  Illinois, February 1, 1865;
Rhode Island, February 2, 1865; Michigan, February 2,
1865; Maryland, February 3, 1865; New York,
February 3, 1865; Pennsylvania, February 3, 1865;
West Virginia, February 3, 1865; Missouri, February 6,
1865; Maine, February 7, 1865; Kansas, February 7,
1865; Massachusetts, February 7, 1865; Virginia,
February 9, 1865; Ohio, February 10, 1865; Indiana,
February 13, 1865; Nevada, February 16, 1865;
Louisiana, February 17, 1865; Minnesota, February 23,
1865; Wisconsin, February 24, 1865; Vermont, March 9,
1865; Tennessee, April 7, 1865; Arkansas, April 14,
1865; Connecticut, May 4, 1865; New Hampshire, July 1,
1865; South Carolina, November 13, 1865; Alabama,
December 2, 1865; North Carolina, December 4, 1865;
Georgia, December 6, 1865.
Ratification was completed on December 6, 1865.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by Oregon,
December 8, 1865; California, December 19, 1865;
Florida, December 28, 1865 (Florida again ratified on
June 9, 1868, upon its adoption of a new constitution);
Iowa, January 15, 1866; New Jersey, January 23, 1866
(after having rejected the amendment on March 16,
1865); Texas, February 18, 1870; Delaware,
February 12, 1901 (after having rejected the amendment
on February 8, 1865); Kentucky, March 18, 1976 (after
having rejected it on February 24, 1865).
The amendment was rejected (and not subsequently
ratified) by Mississippi, December 4, 1865.  amendment 13

Article XIV
The fourteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theThirty-ninth Congress, on the 13th
of June, 1866. It was declared, in a certificate of the
Secretary of State dated July 28, 1868 to have been
ratified by the legislatures of 28 of the 37 States. The
dates of ratification were: Connecticut, June 25, 1866;
New Hampshire, July 6, 1866; Tennessee, July 19, 1866;
New Jersey, September 11, 1866 (subsequently the
legislature rescinded its ratification, and on March 24,
1868, readopted its resolution of rescission over the
Governor's veto, and on Nov. 12, 1980, expressed
support for the amendment); Oregon, September 19,
1866 (and rescinded its ratification on October 15,
1868); Vermont, October 30, 1866; Ohio, January 4,
1867 (and rescinded its ratification on January 15,
1868); New York, January 10, 1867; Kansas,
January 11, 1867; Illinois, January 15, 1867; West
Virginia, January 16, 1867; Michigan, January 16, 1867;
Minnesota, January 16, 1867; Maine, January 19, 1867;
Nevada, January 22, 1867; Indiana, January 23, 1867;
Missouri, January 25, 1867; Rhode Island, February 7,
1867; Wisconsin, February 7, 1867; Pennsylvania,
February 12, 1867; Massachusetts, March 20, 1867;
Nebraska, June 15, 1867; Iowa, March 16, 1868;
Arkansas, April 6, 1868; Florida, June 9, 1868;
North Carolina, July 4, 1868 (after having rejected it on
December 14, 1866); Louisiana, July 9, 1868 (after
having rejected it on February 6, 1867); South Carolina,
July 9, 1868 (after having rejected it on December 20,
1866).
Ratification was completed on July 9, 1868.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by Alabama,
July 13, 1868; Georgia, July 21, 1868 (after having
rejected it on November 9, 1866); Virginia, October 8,
1869 (after having rejected it on January 9, 1867);
Mississippi, January 17, 1870; Texas, February 18, 1870
(after having rejected it on October 27, 1866);
Delaware, February 12, 1901 (after having rejected it on
February 8, 1867); Maryland, April 4, 1959 (after having
rejected it on March 23, 1867); California, May 6, 1959;
Kentucky, March 18, 1976 (after having rejected it on
January 8, 1867).   amendment 14

Article XV
The fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theFortieth Congress, on the 26th of
February, 1869, and was declared, in a proclamation of
the Secretary of State, dated March 30, 1870, to have
been ratified by the legislatures of twenty-nine of
the thirty-seven States. The dates of ratification were:
Nevada, March 1, 1869; West Virginia, March 3, 1869;
Illinois, March 5, 1869; Louisiana, March 5, 1869; North
Carolina, March 5, 1869; Michigan, March 8, 1869;
Wisconsin, March 9, 1869; Maine, March 11, 1869;
Massachusetts, March 12, 1869; Arkansas, March 15,
1869; South Carolina, March 15, 1869; Pennsylvania,
March 25, 1869; New York, April 14, 1869 (and the
legislature of the same State passed a resolution
January 5, 1870, to withdraw its consent to it, which
action it rescinded on March 30, 1970); Indiana, May 14,
1869; Connecticut, May 19, 1869; Florida, June 14,
1869; New Hampshire, July 1, 1869; Virginia, October 8,
1869; Vermont, October 20, 1869; Missouri, January 7,
1870; Minnesota, January 13, 1870; Mississippi,
January 17, 1870; Rhode Island, January 18, 1870;
Kansas, January 19, 1870; Ohio, January 27, 1870 (after
having rejected it on April 30, 1869); Georgia,
February 2, 1870; Iowa, February 3, 1870.
Ratification was completed on February 3, 1870, unless
the withdrawal of ratification by New York was effective;
in which event ratification was completed on
February 17, 1870, when Nebraska ratified.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by Texas,
February 18, 1870; New Jersey, February 15, 1871
(after having rejected it on February 7, 1870); Delaware,
February 12, 1901 (after having rejected it on March 18,
1869); Oregon, February 24, 1959; California, April 3,
1962 (after having rejected it on January 28, 1870);
Kentucky, March 18, 1976 (after having rejected it on
March 12, 1869).
The amendment was approved by the Governor of
Maryland, May 7, 1973; Maryland having previously
rejected it on February 26, 1870.
The amendment was rejected (and not subsequently
ratified) by Tennessee, November 16, 1869.   amendment 15

Article XVI
The sixteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theSixty-first Congress on the 12th of
July, 1909, and was declared, in a proclamation of the
Secretary of State, dated the 25th of February, 1913, to
have been ratified by 36 of the 48 States. The dates of
ratification were: Alabama, August 10, 1909; Kentucky,
February 8, 1910; South Carolina, February 19, 1910;
Illinois, March 1, 1910; Mississippi, March 7, 1910;
Oklahoma, March 10, 1910; Maryland, April 8, 1910;
Georgia, August 3, 1910; Texas, August 16, 1910; Ohio,
January 19, 1911; Idaho, January 20, 1911; Oregon,
January 23, 1911; Washington, January 26, 1911;
Montana, January 30, 1911; Indiana, January 30, 1911;
California, January 31, 1911; Nevada, January 31, 1911;
South Dakota, February 3, 1911; Nebraska, February 9,
1911; North Carolina, February 11, 1911; Colorado,
February 15, 1911; North Dakota, February 17, 1911;
Kansas, February 18, 1911; Michigan, February 23,
1911; Iowa, February 24, 1911; Missouri, March 16,
1911; Maine, March 31, 1911; Tennessee, April 7, 1911;
Arkansas, April 22, 1911 (after having rejected it
earlier); Wisconsin, May 26, 1911; New York, July 12,
1911; Arizona, April 6, 1912; Minnesota, June 11, 1912;
Louisiana, June 28, 1912; West Virginia, January 31,
1913; New Mexico, February 3, 1913.
Ratification was completed on February 3, 1913.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by
Massachusetts, March 4, 1913; New Hampshire,
March 7, 1913 (after having rejected it on March 2,
1911).
The amendment was rejected (and not subsequently
ratified) by Connecticut, Rhode Island, and
Utah.   amendment 16

[Article XVII]
The seventeenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by the Sixty-second Congress on the 13th
of May, 1912, and was declared, in a proclamation of the
Secretary of State, dated the 31st of May, 1913, to have
been ratified by the legislatures of 36 of the 48 States.
The dates of ratification were: Massachusetts, May 22,
1912; Arizona, June 3, 1912; Minnesota, June 10, 1912;
New York, January 15, 1913; Kansas, January 17, 1913;
Oregon, January 23, 1913; North Carolina, January 25,
1913; California, January 28, 1913; Michigan,
January 28, 1913; Iowa, January 30, 1913; Montana,
January 30, 1913; Idaho, January 31, 1913;
West Virginia, February 4, 1913; Colorado, February 5,
1913; Nevada, February 6, 1913; Texas, February 7,
1913; Washington, February 7, 1913; Wyoming,
February 8, 1913; Arkansas, February 11, 1913; Maine,
February 11, 1913; Illinois, February 13, 1913;
North Dakota, February 14, 1913; Wisconsin,
February 18, 1913; Indiana, February 19, 1913;
New Hampshire, February 19, 1913; Vermont,
February 19, 1913; South Dakota, February 19, 1913;
Oklahoma, February 24, 1913; Ohio, February 25, 1913;
Missouri, March 7, 1913; New Mexico, March 13, 1913;
Nebraska, March 14, 1913; New Jersey, March 17, 1913;
Tennessee, April 1, 1913; Pennsylvania, April 2, 1913;
Connecticut, April 8, 1913.
Ratification was completed on April 8, 1913.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by Louisiana,
June 11, 1914.
The amendment was rejected by Utah (and not
subsequently ratified) on February 26, 1913.  amendment 17

Article [XVIII]16
The eighteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theSixty-fifth Congress, on the 18th of
December, 1917, and was declared, in a proclamation of
the Secretary of State, dated the 29th of January, 1919,
to have been ratified by the legislatures of 36 of the 48
States. The dates of ratification were: Mississippi,
January 8, 1918; Virginia, January 11, 1918; Kentucky,
January 14, 1918; North Dakota, January 25, 1918;
South Carolina, January 29, 1918; Maryland,
February 13, 1918; Montana, February 19, 1918; Texas,
March 4, 1918; Delaware, March 18, 1918;
South Dakota, March 20, 1918; Massachusetts, April 2,
1918; Arizona, May 24, 1918; Georgia, June 26, 1918;
Louisiana, August 3, 1918; Florida, December 3, 1918;
Michigan, January 2, 1919; Ohio, January 7, 1919;
Oklahoma, January 7, 1919; Idaho, January 8, 1919;
Maine, January 8, 1919; West Virginia, January 9, 1919;
California, January 13, 1919; Tennessee, January 13,
1919; Washington, January 13, 1919; Arkansas,
January 14, 1919; Kansas, January 14, 1919; Alabama,
January 15, 1919; Colorado, January 15, 1919; Iowa,
January 15, 1919; New Hampshire, January 15, 1919;
Oregon, January 15, 1919; Nebraska, January 16, 1919;
North Carolina, January 16, 1919; Utah, January 16,
1919; Missouri, January 16, 1919; Wyoming,
January 16, 1919.
Ratification was completed on January 16, 1919. See
Dillon v. Gloss, 256 U.S. 368, 376 (1921).
The amendment was subsequently ratified by Minnesota
on January 17, 1919; Wisconsin, January 17, 1919; New
Mexico, January 20, 1919; Nevada, January 21, 1919;
New York, January 29, 1919; Vermont, January 29,
1919; Pennsylvania, February 25, 1919; Connecticut,
May 6, 1919; and New Jersey, March 9, 1922.
The amendment was rejected (and not subsequently
ratified) by Rhode Island.   amendment 18

Women's Suffrage Rights Article [XIX]

The nineteenth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States was proposed to the legislatures of the
several States by theSixty-sixth Congress, on the 4th of
June, 1919, and was declared, in a proclamation of the
Secretary of State, dated the 26th of August, 1920, to
have been ratified by the legislatures of 36 of the 48
States. The dates of ratification were: Illinois, June 10,
1919 (and that State readopted its resolution of
ratification June 17, 1919); Michigan, June 10, 1919;
Wisconsin, June 10, 1919; Kansas, June 16, 1919;
New York, June 16, 1919; Ohio, June 16, 1919;
Pennsylvania, June 24, 1919; Massachusetts, June 25,
1919; Texas, June 28, 1919; Iowa, July 2, 1919;
Missouri, July 3, 1919; Arkansas, July 28, 1919;
Montana, August 2, 1919; Nebraska, August 2, 1919;
Minnesota, September 8, 1919; New Hampshire,
September 10, 1919; Utah, October 2, 1919; California,
November 1, 1919; Maine, November 5, 1919;
North Dakota, December 1, 1919; South Dakota,
December 4, 1919; Colorado, December 15, 1919;
Kentucky, January 6, 1920; Rhode Island, January 6,
1920; Oregon, January 13, 1920; Indiana, January 16,
1920; Wyoming, January 27, 1920; Nevada, February 7,
1920; New Jersey, February 9, 1920; Idaho,
February 11, 1920; Arizona, February 12, 1920; New
Mexico, February 21, 1920; Oklahoma, February 28,
1920; West Virginia, March 10, 1920; Washington,
March 22, 1920; Tennessee, August 18, 1920.
Ratification was completed on August 18, 1920.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by
Connecticut on September 14, 1920 (and that State
reaffirmed on September 21, 1920); Vermont,
February 8, 1921; Delaware, March 6, 1923 (after
having rejected it on June 2, 1920); Maryland, March 29,
1941 (after having rejected it on February 24, 1920,
ratification certified on February 25, 1958); Virginia,
February 21, 1952 (after having rejected it on
February 12, 1920); Alabama, September 8, 1953 (after
having rejected it on September 22, 1919); Florida,
May 13, 1969; South Carolina, July 1, 1969 (after having
rejected it on January 28, 1920, ratification certified on
August 22, 1973); Georgia, February 20, 1970 (after
having rejected it on July 24, 1919); Louisiana, June 11,
1970 (after having rejected it on July 1, 1920);
North Carolina, May 6, 1971; Mississippi, March 22, 1984
(after having rejected it on March 29, 1920).   amendment 19

Article [XX]
The twentieth amendment to the Constitution was
proposed to the legislatures of the several states by
the Seventy-SecondCongress, on the 2d day of March,
1932, and was declared, in a proclamation by the
Secretary of State, dated on the 6th day of February,
1933, to have been ratified by the legislatures of 36 of
the 48 States. The dates of ratification were: Virginia,
March 4, 1932; New York, March 11, 1932; Mississippi,
March 16, 1932; Arkansas, March 17, 1932; Kentucky,
March 17, 1932; New Jersey, March 21, 1932;
South Carolina, March 25, 1932; Michigan, March 31,
1932; Maine, April 1, 1932; Rhode Island, April 14,
1932; Illinois, April 21, 1932; Louisiana, June 22, 1932;
West Virginia, July 30, 1932; Pennsylvania, August 11,
1932; Indiana, August 15, 1932; Texas, September 7,
1932; Alabama, September 13, 1932; California,
January 4, 1933; North Carolina, January 5, 1933;
North Dakota, January 9, 1933; Minnesota, January 12,
1933; Arizona, January 13, 1933; Montana, January 13,
1933; Nebraska, January 13, 1933; Oklahoma,
January 13, 1933; Kansas, January 16, 1933; Oregon,
January 16, 1933; Delaware, January 19, 1933;
Washington, January 19, 1933; Wyoming, January 19,
1933; Iowa, January 20, 1933; South Dakota,
January 20, 1933; Tennessee, January 20, 1933; Idaho,
January 21, 1933; New Mexico, January 21, 1933;
Georgia, January 23, 1933; Missouri, January 23, 1933;
Ohio, January 23, 1933; Utah, January 23, 1933.
Ratification was completed on January 23, 1933.
The amendment was subsequently ratified by
Massachusetts on January 24, 1933; Wisconsin,
January 24, 1933; Colorado, January 24, 1933; Nevada,
January 26, 1933; Connecticut, January 27, 1933;
New Hampshire, January 31, 1933; Vermont,
February 2, 1933; Maryland, March 24, 1933; Florida,
April 26, 1933.   amendment 20

Article [XXI]
The twenty-first amendment to the Constitution was
proposed to the several states by the Seventy-
Second Congress, on the 20th day of February, 1933,
and was declared, in a proclamation by the Secretary of
State, dated on the 5th day of December, 1933, to have
been ratified by 36 of the 48 States. The dates of
ratification were: Michigan, April 10, 1933; Wisconsin,
April 25, 1933; Rhode Island, May 8, 1933; Wyoming,
May 25, 1933; New Jersey, June 1, 1933; Delaware,
June 24, 1933; Indiana, June 26, 1933; Massachusetts,
June 26, 1933; New York, June 27, 1933; Illinois,
July 10, 1933; Iowa, July   amendment 21

Amendment XXII