The Declaration of Independence (Annotated). Thomas Jefferson (Declaration)

      Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg Speaker of the House of Representatives John Adams, Vice-President of the United States, and President of the Senate.

      John Beckley, Clerk of the House of Representatives. Sam A. Otis, Secretary of the Senate.

      Amendments

      (1792-1991)

       Table of Contents

       AMENDMENT XI – Judicial Limits

       AMENDMENT XII – Choosing the President, Vice-President

       AMENDMENT XIII – Slavery Abolished

       AMENDMENT XIV – Citizenship Rights

       AMENDMENT XV – Race No Bar to Vote

       AMENDMENT XVI – Status of Income Tax Clarified

       AMENDMENT XVII – Senators Elected by Popular Vote

       AMENDMENT XVIII – Liquor Abolished

       AMENDMENT XIX – Women’s Suffrage

       AMENDMENT XX – Presidential, Congressional Terms

       AMENDMENT XXI – Amendment XVIII Replaced

       AMENDMENT XXII – Presidential Term Limits

       AMENDMENT XXIII – Presidential Vote for District of Columbia

       AMENDMENT XXIV – Poll Tax Barred

       AMENDMENT XXV – Presidential Disability and Succession

       AMENDMENT XXVI – Voting Age Set to 18 Years

       AMENDMENT XXVII – Limiting Congressional Pay Increases

      AMENDMENT XI:

       Judicial Limits

       Table of Contents

      (Ratified February 7, 1795)

      The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

      AMENDMENT XII:

       Choosing the President, Vice-President

       Table of Contents

      (Ratified June 15, 1804)

      The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;

      The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted.

      The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the 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 the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President.

      The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

      AMENDMENT XIII:

       Slavery Abolished

       Table of Contents

      (Ratified December 6, 1865)

       Sec. 1.

      Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

       Sec. 2.

      Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

      AMENDMENT XIV:

       Citizenship Rights

       Table of Contents

      (Ratified July 9, 1868)

       Sec. 1.

      All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

       Sec. 2.

      Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers counting the whole