[Constitution for the United States ofAmerica]1
We the People of the United States, in Order toform a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure theBlessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establishthis Constitution for the United States of America.
Section. 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vestedin a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and Houseof Representatives.
Section. 2.The House of Representatives shall be composed ofMembers chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and theElectors in each State shall have the Qualificationsrequisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall nothave attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizenof the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of thatState in which he shall be chosen.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall beapportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union,according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding tothe whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Termof Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all otherPersons [Modified by Amendment XIV]. The actualEnumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of theCongress 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 shallnot exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each Stateshall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall bemade, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three,Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticutfive, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Marylandsix, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from anyState, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fillsuch Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse theirSpeaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Section. 3.The Senate of the United States shall be composed of twoSenators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof [Modified by Amendment XVII], for six Years; and eachSenator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled inConsequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may beinto three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall bevacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at theExpiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of thesixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and ifVacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of theLegislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointmentsuntil the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill suchVacancies [Modified by Amendment XVII].
No Person shall be a Senator who shall not haveattained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of theUnited States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that Statefor which he shall be chosen.
The Vice President of the United States shall bePresident of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equallydivided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and alsoa President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shallexercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try allImpeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath orAffirmation. When the President of the United States istried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convictedwithout the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extendfurther than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy anyOffice of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Partyconvicted 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 forSenators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by theLegislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter suchRegulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.
The Congress shall assemble at least once in everyYear, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December [Modifiedby Amendment XX], unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.
Section. 5.Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returnsand Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitutea Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, andmay 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 itsProceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with theConcurrence 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 theirJudgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either Houseon any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be enteredon the Journal.
Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall,without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to anyother Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
Section. 6.The Senators and Representatives shall receive aCompensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of theTreasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felonyand Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance atthe Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from thesame; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not bequestioned in any other Place.
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Timefor which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authorityof the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereofshall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Officeunder the United States, shall be a Member of either House during hisContinuance in Office.
Section. 7.All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in theHouse of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendmentsas on other Bills.
Every Bill which shall have passed the House ofRepresentatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented tothe President of the United States;[2] If heapprove he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections tothat House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections atlarge on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after suchReconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shallbe sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shalllikewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shallbecome a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall bedetermined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for andagainst the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. Ifany Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundaysexcepted) 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 Adjournmentprevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.
Every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which theConcurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (excepton a question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the UnitedStates; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, orbeing disapproved by him, shall be repassed by two thirds of the Senate andHouse of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed inthe Case of a Bill.
Section. 8.The Congress shall have PowerTo lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts andExcises, to pay the Debts and provide for thecommon Defence and
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce withforeign Nations, and among the several States, andwith the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, anduniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and offoreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting theSecurities and current Coin of the United States;
To establish Post Offices and post Roads;
To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts,by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right totheir respective Writings and Discoveries;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supremeCourt;
To define and punishPiracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, andOffences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque andReprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation ofMoney 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 ofthe land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to executethe Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing,arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for
To exercise exclusiveLegislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding tenMiles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance ofCongress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States,and to exercise like Authority over all Placespurchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Sameshall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and otherneedful Buildings; — And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and properfor carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vestedby this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in anyDepartment or Officer thereof.
Section. 9.The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any ofthe States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited bythe Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Taxor duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for eachPerson.
The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall notbe suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safetymay require it.
No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall bepassed.
No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid,unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to betaken.
No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exportedfrom any State.
No Preference shall be given by any Regulation ofCommerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shallVessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Dutiesin another.
No Money shall be drawn fromthe Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law;and a regular Statement and Account of the Receiptsand Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the UnitedStates: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall,without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office,or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Section. 10.No State shall enter into anyTreaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters ofMarque and Reprisal; coin Money;emit Bills of Credit; makeany Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts;pass any Bill of Attainder,
No State shall, withoutthe 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, laidby any State on Imports or Exports, shall be for the Use of the Treasury of theUnited States; and all such Laws shall be subject tothe Revision and Controul of the Congress.
No State shall, without the Consent of Congress,lay any Duty of Tonnage,
Section. 1.The executive Power shall be vested in a President ofthe United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of fourYears, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, beelected, as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as theLegislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Numberof Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in theCongress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office ofTrust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
The Electors shall meet in their respectiveStates, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not bean Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List ofall the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List theyshall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government ofthe United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President ofthe Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives,open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Personhaving the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be aMajority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more thanone who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the Houseof Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President;and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List thesaid House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing thePresident, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from eachState having one Vote; a quorum for this Purpose shall consist of a Member orMembers from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shallbe necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, thePerson having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the VicePresident. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, theSenate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President [Modified by Amendment XII].
The Congress may determine the Time of chusing theElectors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall bethe same throughout the United States.
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizenof the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shallbe eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible tothat Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, andbeen fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
In Case of the Removal of the President fromOffice, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers andDuties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, andthe Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation orInability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officershall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until theDisability be removed, or a President shall be elected [Modified by Amendment XXV].
The President shall, at stated Times, receive for hisServices, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminishedduring the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall notreceive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or anyof them.
Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, heshall take the following Oath or Affirmation: — "I do solemnly swear(or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of theUnited States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defendthe Constitution of the United States."
Section. 2.The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Armyand Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, whencalled into the actual Service of the United States; he may require theOpinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executiveDepartments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respectiveOffices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offencesagainst the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice andConsent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senatorspresent concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consentof the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls,Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whoseAppointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall beestablished by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of suchinferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courtsof Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up allVacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by grantingCommissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Section. 3. He shall fromtime to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, andrecommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary andexpedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or eitherof them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time ofAdjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; heshall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care thatthe Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of theUnited States.
Section. 4. The President,Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removedfrom Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or otherhigh Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Section. 1. The judicialPower of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in suchinferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. TheJudges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Officesduring good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services aCompensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Section. 2.The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law andEquity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, andTreaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; — to allCases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; — to allCases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; — to Controversies to whichthe United States shall be a Party; — to Controversies between two or moreStates; — between a State and Citizens of another State [Modified by Amendment XI]; — between Citizens ofdifferent States; — between Citizens of the same State claiming Landsunder Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof,and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other publicMinisters and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supremeCourt shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases beforementioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Lawand Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congressshall make.
The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases ofImpeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State wherethe said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within anyState, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Lawhave directed.
Section. 3.Treason against the United States shall consist only inlevying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid andComfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of twoWitnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
The Congress shall have Power to declare thePunishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption ofBlood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
Section. 1. Full Faith andCredit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicialProceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Lawsprescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall beproved, and the Effect thereof.
Section. 2.The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to allPrivileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony,or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State,shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, bedelivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.
No Person held to Service or Labour in one State,under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Lawor Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall bedelivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may bedue [Modified by Amendment XIII].
Section. 3.New States may be admitted by the Congress into thisUnion; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction ofany other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States,or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the Statesconcerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and makeall needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Propertybelonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be soconstrued as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particularState.
Section. 4. The United Statesshall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of theLegislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened),against domestic Violence.
TheCongress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shallpropose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of theLegislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention forproposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents andPurposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures ofthree fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourthsthereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by theCongress; Provided that no Amendment which may be madeprior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manneraffect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article;and that no State, without its Consent, shall bedeprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
All Debts contracted andEngagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be asvalid against the United States under this Constitution, as under theConfederation.
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United Stateswhich shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shallbe made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law ofthe Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing inthe Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned,and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive andjudicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shallbe bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religiousTest shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trustunder the United States.
The Ratification of theConventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of thisConstitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
The Word, "the," being interlined between theseventh and eighth Lines of the first Page, The Word "Thirty" beingpartly written on an Erazure in the fifteenth Line of the first Page, The Words"is tried" being interlined between the thirty second and thirtythird Lines of the first Page and the Word "the" being interlinedbetween the forty third and forty fourth Lines of the second Page.
Attest William Jackson
Secretary
done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of theStates present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord onethousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the UnitedStates of America the Twelfth In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribedour Names,
Go. WASHINGTON —Presidt.
and deputy from Virginia
In Convention Monday, September 17
Present
The States of
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, MR.Hamilton from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia,North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Resolved,
That the preceeding Constitution be laid before the United States inCongress assembled, and that it is the Opinion of this Convention, that itshould afterwards be submitted to a Convention of Delegates, chosen in eachState by the People thereof, under the Recommendation of its Legislature, fortheir Assent and Ratification; and that each Convention assenting to, andratifying the Same, should give Notice thereof to the United States in Congressassembled. Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this Convention, that as soon asthe Conventions of nine States shall have ratified this Constitution, theUnited States in Congress assembled should fix a Day on which Electors shouldbe appointed by the States which have ratified the same, and a Day on which theElectors should assemble to vote for the President, and the Time and Place forcommencing Proceedings under this Constitution. That after such Publication theElectors should be appointed, and the Senators and Representatives elected:That the Electors should meet on the Day fixed for the Election of thePresident, and should transmit their Votes certified, signed, sealed anddirected, as the Constitution requires, to the Secretary of the United Statesin Congress assembled, that the Senators and Representatives should convene atthe Time and Place assigned; that the Senators should appoint a President ofthe Senate, for the sole purpose of receiving, opening and counting the Votesfor President; and, that after he shall be chosen, the Congress, together withthe President, should, without Delay, proceed to execute this Constitution.
By the Unanimous Order of the Convention
Go. WASHINGTON —Presidt.
W. JACKSON Secretary.
The conventions of a number of the States havingat the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order toprevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory andrestrictive clauses should be added.
ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of, theConstitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, andratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifthArticle of the original Constitution
The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend toany suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the UnitedStates by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any ForeignState.
The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot forPresident and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitantof the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the personvoted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for asVice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for asPresident, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number ofvotes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed tothe seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President ofthe Senate; — The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of theSenate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votesshall then be counted; — The person having the greatest number of votesfor President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of thewhole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, thenfrom the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list ofthose voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall chooseimmediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votesshall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; aquorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds ofthe states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice.And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever theright of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March nextfollowing, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case ofthe death or other constitutional disability of the President. — Theperson having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be theVice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electorsappointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numberson the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for thepurpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and amajority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no personconstitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible tothat of Vice-President of the United States.
If any Citizen of the United States shall accept, claim, receive or retainany Title of Nobility or Honour, or shall, without the Consent of Congress,accept and retain any present, Pension, Office or Emolument of any kindwhatever, from any Emperor, King, Prince or foreign Power, such Person shallcease to be a Citizen of the United States, and shall be incapable of holdingany Office of Trust or Profit under them, or either of them.
Article Thirteen.
No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or giveto Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with thedomestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor orservice by the laws of said State.
Section. 1. Neither slaverynor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the partyshall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or anyplace subject to their jurisdiction.
Section. 2. Congress shallhave power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section. 1. All persons bornor naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. NoState shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges orimmunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive anyperson of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny toany person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Section. 2. Representativesshall be apportioned among the several States according to their respectivenumbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indiansnot taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice ofelectors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representativesin Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members ofthe Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of suchState, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or inany way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, thebasis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which thenumber of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizenstwenty-one years of age in such State.
Section. 3. No person shallbe a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and VicePresident, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, orunder any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress,or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature,or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support theConstitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection orrebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. ButCongress may by a vote of