Bill of Rights

1. The complete text of the First Amendment is below.

• Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

  • respecting an establishment of: supporting or making official

  • prohibiting: banning or making illegal

  • abridging: taking away

  • press: the people who cover the news

  • assemble: meet in a group

  • petition: ask

  • redress of grievances: a response to complaints

2. The complete text of the Second Amendment is below.

• 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.

  • militia: volunteer army

  • arms: weapons such as guns

  • infringed: taken away or reduced

3. The complete text of the Third Amendment is below.

• 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.

  • quartered: given a place to stay

  • consent: permission or agreement

  • prescribed: decided or determined

4. The full text of the Fourth Amendment is below.

• 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.

  • seizures: the act of taking away someone's property

  • violated: taken away or ignored

  • no warrants shall issue: a court will not give permission to do a search

  • probable cause: a good reason

  • oath or affirmation: a promise or statement someone swears is true

5. Part of the text of the Fifth Amendment is below. It does not use the words "right to remain silent."

• Nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.

  • put in jeopardy of life or limb: put in danger of losing life or freedom

  • compelled: forced

  • witness: a person who speaks during a trial

6. Part of the text of the Sixth Amendment is below.

• 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. . .and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

  • criminal prosecutions: trials for a crime

  • impartial: fair, open-minded

  • wherein: in the place where

  • assistance of counsel: help from a lawyer

7. Part of the text of the Seventh Amendment is below.

• In suits at common law. . .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.

  • suits at common law: non-criminal trials, trials for disagreements about money

  • preserved: protected

  • tried: decided during a trial

  • re-examined: brought back to trial

  • common law: the part of American law based on tradition instead of written rules

8. The text of the Eighth Amendment is below.

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

  • excessive: too much, too high

  • bail: money used to avoid being in jail during a trial

  • fines imposed: money taken away as punishment

  • inflicted: carried out, done

9. The full text of the Ninth Amendment is below. Think about what the words "deny or disparage" mean.

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

  • enumeration: listing

  • construed: read, understood

  • disparage: lessen, question the value of

  • retained: held

10. The full text of the Tenth Amendment is below. Unlike most amendments in the Bill of Rights, it does not talk about rights at all.

• 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.

• delegated: given

• prohibited: forbidden, denied

• are reserved to: belong to