The U.S. Constitution, featuring profiles on Founding Fathers, a comprehensive collection of amendments, and a wealth of historical documents. Online since 1995.
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U.S. Constitution – Article 7 Article 7 – Ratification <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 6 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 6 Article 6 – Debts, Supremacy, Oaths <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 5 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 5 Article 5 – Amendment <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 4 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 4 Article 4 – The States Section 4 – Republican Government <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 3 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 3 Article 4 – The States Section 3 – New States <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 2 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 2 Article 4 – The States Section 2 – State Citizens, Extradition <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 1 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 4 Section 1 Article 4 – The States Section 1 – Each State to Honor all Others <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 3 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 3 Article 3 – The Judicial Branch Section 3 – Treason <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 2 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 2 Article 3 – The Judicial Branch Section 2 – Trial by Jury, Original Jurisdiction, Jury Trials <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> (The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 1 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 3 Section 1 Article 3 – The Judicial Branch Section 1 – Judicial Powers <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 4 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 4 Article 2 – The Executive Branch Section 4 – Disqualification <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 3 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 3 Article 2 – The Executive Branch Section 3 – State of the Union, Convening Congress <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 2 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 2 Article 2 – The Executive Branch Section 2 – Civilian Power Over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The President shall be Commander in Chief of the…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 1 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 2 Section 1 Article 2 – The Executive Branch Section 1 – The President <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 9 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 9 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 9 – Limits on Congress <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 8 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 8 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 8 – Powers of Congress <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises,…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 7 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 7 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 7 – Revenue Bills, Legislative Process, Presidential Veto <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 6 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 6 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 6 – Compensation <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> (The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law,…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 5 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 5 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 5 – Membership, Rules, Journals, Adjournment <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 4 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 4 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 4 – Elections, Meetings <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 3 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 3 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 3 – The Senate <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State,…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 2 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 2 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 2 – The House <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 10 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 10 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 10 – Powers Prohibited of States <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of…
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U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 1 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Article 1 Section 1 Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section 1 – The Legislature <<Back | Table of Contents | Next>> All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States,…
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U.S. Constitution – Table of Contents – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
U.S. Constitution – Table of Contents Today’s special event: On July 25, 1866, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed General of the Army, the first person to hold that rank.On July 25, 1868, Wyoming officially became a U.S. territory. Commemorate the…
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James Wilson’s 4th of July Address – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
James Wilson’s 4th of July Address James Wilson came to America from Scotland in 1765 and quickly learned the law and began to practice in Pennsylvania. By the time of the Revolution, he was well-known and trusted, and was elected…
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Notes on the Vermont Constitution – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Notes on the Vermont Constitution Advertisement This document contains my personal notes about certain portions of the Vermont Constitution. The full Vermont Constitution is also available online. The Vermont Constitution Explained Page may be of some interest as well. Contact…
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The Vermont Constitution Explained – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Vermont Constitution Explained Advertisement The Vermont Constitution is the basic law for the state of Vermont. It has a rich history, and has been modified many times since the late 18th century. A full constitution was written in 1777…
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The Vermont Constitution – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Vermont Constitution Advertisement The following is the complete text of the Vermont Constitution. Text in bold designates added comments (plus see Section 75). The original source for this document can be found at The Vermont Legislature’s Web Site. The…
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The Virginia Declaration of Rights – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Virginia Declaration of Rights Advertisement After the Committee of Style finished with the final draft of the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention, George Mason stood up and noted that the new Constitution contained no declaration of the rights of…
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Virginia Joint Resolution 728 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Virginia Joint Resolution 728 Advertisement In the 1850 census, Virginia listed 472,528 slaves within its borders, the most of any state in the United States. Slavery was the backbone of the state’s economy, as it was in most of the…
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Treaty Between the United States and Tripoli – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Treaty Between the United States and Tripoli It is not often that an obscure treaty from the late 18th century becomes a touch point in a 21st century philosophical debate, but such is the case with the 1796 treaty between…
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Letter of Transmittal – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Letter of Transmittal The Convention, upon completing its work on the Constitution, wrote a letter to the Congress. The letter, known as The Letter of Transmittal, laid out for Congress that which the Convention felt should happen next: that the…
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Issue Guide for “The Court” – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Issue Guide for “The Court” Advertisement Note: As of the third episode, The Court has been placed on hiatus. The Issue Guide will be updated if any further episodes air. The Court is a television show that airs on the…
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The United States Constitution – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The United States Constitution Today’s special event: March 16, 1751, is President James Madison‘s birthday. Advertisement The Constitution is presented in several ways on this site. This page presents the Constitution on one large HTML-enhanced page. Other pages present the…
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Support USConstitution.net – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Support USConstitution.net Thank you for coming to USConstitution.net. If you want to help keep this site running, there are several ways to pitch in. Of course, nothing is required of you to use the site. The following are all 100%…
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God in the State Constitutions – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
God in the State Constitutions Advertisement The subject of God in the Constitution arises from time to time, and this site deals with the topic specifically elsewhere. However, another question also arises: how is God referenced, if at all, in…
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State Constitutions – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
State Constitutions Each state in the United States has its own constitution. Of course, all state constitutions are inferior (in a legal sense) to the United States Constitution, and when reading state constitutions, this must be kept in mind —…
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State Ratification Grid – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
State Ratification Grid This page presents a table showing each state on the vertical axis and each constitutional amendment on the horizontal axis. This chart will allow you to quickly see if your state ratified any one amendment or group…
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The Declaration of Rights (Stamp Act) – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Declaration of Rights (Stamp Act) Advertisement In 1764, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which placed tariffs on sugar, coffee, and other goods imported into the New World. These taxes increased the burden on ordinary citizens at a…
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Who is Steve Mount? – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Who is Steve Mount? Advertisement This site is increasingly being used as a source in research papers and by debate clubs and the like, and in simple Internet disagreements. As this site’s popularity grows, I have often been asked who…
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The Declaration of Sentiments – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Declaration of Sentiments In 1840, Lucretia Mott attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England. Mott, a Quaker minister, was a strong abolitionist. She and the Hicksite Quakers refused to use materials produced with slave labor, including cotton and…
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Savoy’s 20 Questions with Steve Mount – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Savoy’s 20 Questions with Steve Mount Advertisement [Editor’s note: this interview with the Webmaster of this site appeared in the online magazine Savoy in its December, 1998 edition. Savoy is now defunct. This page is a reproduction of that interview.…
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Ratification Dates and Votes – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Ratification Dates and Votes Advertisement Each of the original thirteen states in the United States was invited to ratify the Constitution created in Philadelphia in 1787. The Constitution specified that nine ratifications would be sufficient to consider the Constitution accepted.…
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Vermont’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Vermont’s Ratification Advertisement Vermont was admitted to the United States on March 4, 1791. On February 9, 1791, the Congress received the state’s transmission to Congress its intent to hold a convention for the purposes of ratifying the United States…
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Virginia’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Virginia’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Virginia, June 26, 1788. Virginia ratified the Constitution in two steps. The first was the declaration of ratification. The second was a recommendation that a bill of rights be added…
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South Carolina’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
South Carolina’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of South Carolina, May 23, 1788. South Carolina was the eighth state to do so. South Carolina’s ratification message included several small suggested changes to the Constitution, including one to…
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Rhode Island’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Rhode Island’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Rhode Island, May 29, 1790. Rhode Island was the thirteenth state to do so. Rhode Island’s ratification message is lengthy, with a list similar to that of New York’s,…
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Pennsylvania’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Pennsylvania’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787. Pennsylvania was the second state to do so. Pennsylvania’s ratification message was short and to the point. The following text is taken from the Library of…
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New York’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
New York’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New York, July 26, 1788. New York was the eleventh state to do so. The assent of Virginia and of New York was seen as essential to the success…
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New Jersey’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
New Jersey’s Ratification Advertisement Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New Jersey, December 18, 1787. New Jersey was the third state to do so. New Jersey’s ratification message included several paragraphs describing the Constitutional Convention and several more…
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New Hampshire’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
New Hampshire’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New Hampshire, June 21, 1788. New Hampshire was the ninth state to do so, and with its ratification, the Constitution was officially in effect. New Hampshire’s ratification message included…
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North Carolina’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
North Carolina’s Ratification Advertisement Ratification of the Constitution by the State of North Carolina, November 21, 1789. North Carolina was the twelfth state to do so. North Carolina held a ratification convention in 1788, convening on July 21 and adjourning…
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Maryland’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Maryland’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Maryland, April 28, 1788. Maryland was the seventh state to do so. Maryland’s ratification message was very short and to the point. The following text is taken from the Library…
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Massachusetts’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Massachusetts’s Ratification Advertisement Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Massachusetts, February 6, 1788. Massachusetts was the sixth state to do so. Massachusetts’s ratification message was the first to include a list of desired changes to the Constitution, some…
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Georgia’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Georgia’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Georgia, January 2, 1788. Georgia was the fourth state to do so. Georgia’s ratification message was short and to the point. The following text is taken from the Library of…
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Delaware’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Delaware’s Ratification Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Delaware, December 7, 1787. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution. Delaware’s ratification message was short and to the point. The following text is taken from the Library…
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Connecticut’s Ratification – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
Connecticut’s Ratification Advertisement Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Connecticut, January 9, 1788. Connecticut was the fifth state to do so. Connecticut’s ratification message was short and to the point. The following text is taken from the Library…
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The Quebec Act – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Quebec Act Following the British victory over France in the Seven Years’ War, the territories of France in northern North America, known as Canada, were granted to Britain in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The British renamed the…
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The Quartering Act – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net
The Quartering Act Advertisement In 1765, Parliament passed a quartering act that stated that British troops in America would be housed in barracks and in public houses unless and until the number of troops overwhelmed the facilities, at which time,…