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THE
CONSTITUTION
oftheUnitedStates
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
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.
SECTION. 1.
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a
Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Sen-
ate and House of Representatives.
SECTION. 2.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Mem-
bers chosen every second Year by the People of the several
States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Quali -
cations requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch
of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have
attained to the Age of twenty ve 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.
[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 fths of
all other Persons.]* The actual Enumeration shall be made
within three Years after the rst 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 one for 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 ve, New-York six, New
Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland
six, Virginia ten, North Carolina ve, South Carolina ve,
and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any
State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of
Election to ll such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their
Speaker and other Of cers; and shall have the sole
Power of Impeachment.
SECTION. 3.
The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two
Senators from each State, [chosen by the Legislature there-
of,]* for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence
of the rst Election, they shall be divided as equally as may
be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the rst
Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year,
of the second 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 Vacan-
cies 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 ll such Vacancies.]*
1
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
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.
The Vice President of the United States shall be
President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless
they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Of cers, and also a
President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice
President, or when he shall exercise the Of ce of
President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeach-
ments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on
Oath or Af rmation. 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.
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend
further than to removal from Of ce, and disquali cation to
hold and enjoy any Of ce of honor, Trust or Pro t 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.
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 chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and
such Meeting shall be [on the rst Monday in December,]*
unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.
SECTION. 5.
Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns
and Quali cations 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.
Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings,
punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the
Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.
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 of one fth of those Present, be entered
on the Journal.
Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, with-
out 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.
The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compen-
sation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid
out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all
Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be
privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Ses-
sion of their respective Houses, and in going to and return-
ing from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either
House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for
which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Of ce
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
Of ce under the United States, shall be a Member of either
House during his Continuance in Of ce.
2
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
SECTION. 7.
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.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Represen-
tatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be
presented to the President of the United States; If he ap-
prove 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 Adjournament prevent its Return, in which Case it
shall not be a Law.
Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which the Concur-
rence 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 be-
ing 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.
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;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among
the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uni-
form Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the
United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign
Coin, and x the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securi-
ties and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Of ces and post Roads;
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;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;
To de ne and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on
the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and
make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of
Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two
Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the
land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws
of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
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 Of cers,
and the Authority of training the Militia according to the
discipline prescribed by Congress;
3
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever,
over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as
may, by Cession 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, Maga-
zines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful Buildings;
-And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for
carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other
Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of
the United States, or in any Department or Of cer thereof.
SECTION. 9.
The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the
States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be
SECTION. 10.
No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confedera-
tion; 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 At-
tainder, ex post facto Law, or Law impairing the Obligation
of Contracts, or grant any Title of Nobility.
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.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any
Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of
