Annotated Bill of Rights
Activity to understand the text of the entire Bill of Rights.
Annotated Bill of Rights Activity
| Text_ | Annotations |
| Amendment I
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 (formally ask) the government for a redress (fix or address) of grievances (complaints).
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Congress cannot create an official religion or church supported by the government, prevent you from freely practicing your religion, violate free speech or a free press, prevent you and others from assembling together, or prevent you from petitioning the government with complaints or requests to take a specific action |
| Amendment II
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms (guns), shall not be infringed (taken away).
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Your right to possess guns both individually and as part of a state militia shall not be violated. |
| Amendment III
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered (housed) in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
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The government cannot force you to shelter and feed soldiers in your home during peacetime and can only do so during wartime if appropriate laws are passed. |
| Amendment IV
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.
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The government cannot search or take your possessions without reason. |
| Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment (formal charge) of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger;
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You cannot be tried for a crime unless a grand jury first determines that sufficient evidence exists to charge you. |
| nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; | You cannot be charged twice for the same crime. |
| nor shall be compelled (forced) in any criminal case to be a witness against himself | You cannot be forced to answer questions by the police or at a trial that might incriminate you. |
| nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; (formal trial) | The government cannot deprive you of your rights unless it follows a system of just laws that are applied equally to all. |
| nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. | The government cannot take your property unless it is for a public use and you are paid fairly for it. |
| Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial (unbiased) jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory (required) process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel (legal aid) for his defense. |
You have a right to a speedy trial by jury, to be told what crimes you are charged with, to be able to question in court any witnesses that testify against you, to bring forward witnesses that will testify for you, and to be represented by a lawyer. |
| Amendment VII
In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. |
You have a right to a trial by jury in civil cases. |
| Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. |
The government cannot set a bail amount that is unreasonably high or punish you in a cruel or unusual way. |
| Amendment IX
The enumeration (listing) in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed (interpreted) to deny or disparage (dismiss) others retained by the people. |
There are other rights than those listed in the Constitution, and they exist even if they are not written in the document. |
| Amendment X
The powers not delegated (formally granted) to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. |
Any powers that are not explicitly given to the federal government are reserved to the states and the people. |