Don's Home > USA > US Constitution and Amendments
Contact
last updated 28 Aug 2025

Summary of Rights Found in the United States Constitution
and the Bill of Rights


(Abridged)

September 17, 1787: The U.S. Constitution was signed by delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
After being signed, the Constitution was sent to the states for ratification by special conventions, a process that bypassed the state legislatures.
The ratification campaign was contentious, as Anti-Federalists argued against the new central government and its lack of a bill of rights.
June 21, 1788: New Hampshire cast the ninth and final vote required for ratification, making the Constitution the nation's official governing document.

ARTICLE I, SECTION 6 USA
Freedom of speech and debate for members of Congress.

ARTICLE I, SECTION 8 USA
The writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless public safety requires it. (Habeas corpus is an order directed at the authorities who are keeping someone in prison to "produce the body" and justify before a judge why they are keeping the person locked up.)

ARTICLE I, SECTION 8 USA
No bills of attainder or ex post facto laws shall be passed. A bill of attainder is an action of the legislative branch finding someone guilty or imposing punishment without a trial. An ex post facto law is a criminal law that operates retroactively to the disadvantage of the accused.

ARTICLE I, SECTION 8 USA
No titles of nobility shall be granted by the United States.

ARTICLE III, SECTION 2 USA
Jury trials in criminal cases.

ARTICLE III, SECTION 3 USA
Treason defined to prevent improper convictions. ARTICLE VII, Establishes the procedure used to ratify the constitution. Since the Constitution became operational in 1789, it has been amended 27 times.

Simplified United States Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments, The Bill of Rights, were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791

FIRST AMENDMENT USA
This amendment guarantees that Congress cannot establish a state religion. It also guarantees the right of freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, fredom of association, freedom for people to get together peacefully, and freedom for people to send petitions to their government.

SECOND AMENDMENT USA
This amendment states that in order to have a prepared military, people are guaranteed the right to keep and bear arms.

THIRD AMENDMENT USA
This amendment states that the government cannot force the people to house and feed soldiers in their homes during times of peace.

FOURTH AMENDMENT USA
This amendment states that people, their homes or their belongings are protected from unreasonable searches or seizures. Warrants may not be issued except upon probable cause, and must specifically describe the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized.

FIFTH AMENDMENT USA
This amendment guarantees a person accused of a serious crime the right to be charged by a grand jury. Persons cannot be forced to give evidence against themselves. If a person is found not guilty of a crime, he/she cannot be put on trial for the same crime again. The federal government cannot unfairly take peoples' lives, freedom or property. The government must pay a person for any property it takes for public use.

SIXTH AMENDMENT USA

This amendment guarantees a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury if a person is accused of a crime. The accused has the right to be told what they are accused of. They have the right to a lawyer. They have a right to see and to question those people who accuse them of the crime.

SEVENTH AMENDMENT USA
This amendment guarantees a trial by jury in civil cases (disputes between private parties or between the government and a private party).

EIGHTH AMENDMENT USA
This amendment guarantees that punishment will not be cruel and unusual.

NINTH AMENDMENT USA
This amendment states that just because a right is not listed does not mean it does not exist.

TENTH AMENDMENT USA
This amendment states that the people have all the rights not given to the United States government or forbidden to state governments by the Constitution.

See The Bill of Rights: What Does it Say? | archives.gov/founding-docs for a more complete description.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights/what-does-it-say

ELeventh and Twelth Ammendments
The 11th and 12th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were not lost; they are active parts of the Constitution and remain in effect today, with the
11th Amendment establishing sovereign immunity for states and the
12th Amendment reforming presidential and vice-presidential elections.
They were adopted in 1795 and 1804, respectively, following specific court cases and political events that highlighted deficiencies in the original Constitution.

THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT USA (1865)
Slavery shall not be allowed in the United States, or any place subject to U.S. laws.

FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT USA (1868)
All persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the U.S. No state can limit the privileges or immunities of U.S. citizens. No state can take away a person's life, liberty, or property without fair procedures, or deny a person equal protection of the laws. Citizens have the right to travel (court decision interpreting the 14th amendment).

FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT USA (1870)
Adult male citizens, regardless of race, can vote.

NINETEENTH AMENDMENT USA (1920)
Adult female citizens can vote.

TWENTY-THIRD AMENDMENT USA (1961)
Residents of the District of Columbia can vote in Presidential elections.

TWENTY-FOURTH AMENDMENT USA (1964)
Citizens cannot be required to pay a poll tax to vote.

TWENTY-SIXTH AMENDMENT USA (1971)
Citizens 18 years old and over can vote.

TWENTY-SEVENTH AMENDMENT USA (1992)
Any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may take effect only after the next election of the House of Representatives has occurred. It is the most recently adopted amendment but was one of the first proposed.