Liberty
Freedom of conscience, expression, and the pursuit of a life of one's own.
OF THE UNITED STATES
The promise of America was never about one person.
It was always about all of us.
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.
— Preamble to the Constitution of the United States
The Constitution begins not with a king, a party, or a president—but with the people.
Freedom of conscience, expression, and the pursuit of a life of one's own.
A commitment to laws, due process, and equal protection under the law.
Many voices, many states, one enduring constitutional republic.
A responsibility to preserve the blessings of liberty for generations to come.
Ten amendments. Essential protections. A living responsibility to understand them.
Loading the ten amendments…
Historical amendment wording reproduced from the National Archives transcription. Short headings and summaries are editorial aids, not the constitutional text.
The American experiment belongs to every generation. Its ideals deserve to be read, understood, debated, and protected.
RETURN TO THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS ↓History speaks most clearly in its own words. Read the complete Constitution and the original text of the Bill of Rights at the U.S. National Archives.