First Amendment
Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition
Passed by Congress September 25, 1789. Ratified December 15, 1791. The first 10 amendments form the Bill of Rights
First Amendment
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.
Explore more about First Amendment
Are Religious Charter Schools Constitutional?
Reviewing oral arguments in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond
Jewish Americans in the Civil War Era
Authors Richard Kreitner and Shari Rabin discuss their new books on the broader Jewish experience from the Revolutionary era to the Civil War, how American Jews reckoned with slavery, and Jewish participation in the Civil War.
Explaining the constitutional right to peacefully assemble
One of the basic rights enshrined in our Constitution is the ability to peacefully assemble to address grievances against the government. These rights predate the Constitution and have evolved over time.
View Text
Coming soon for this provision! Until then, you can use Writing Rights to explore key historical documents, early drafts and major proposals behind each provision, and discover how the drafters deliberated, agreed and disagreed, on the path to compromise and the final text.
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