The senate of the united states shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, the preceding words in parentheses superseded by 17th amendment, section 1. The first ten amendments were adopted and ratified. How to read and understand it reading amendment 2s text as written when reading amendment 2s actual text it is important to read the text first to understand what it actually states. The constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the.
Constitution of the united states of america 1787 page ii 4this clause has been affected by clause 2 of amendment xviii. Three provisions of the constitution refer to the people in a context other than. Sanford levinson, the embarrassing second amendment, 99 yale l. The debate over the second amendment and gun rights in the united states was reignited this year when a federal appeals court struck down one of the. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches. The twentyseventh amendment amendment xxvii to the united states constitution prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of congress from taking effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for representatives. Sons of the constitution and 2nd amendment introductions. Second amendment wex us law lii legal information institute. Whatever your position on the 2nd amendment, this distinction is instructive. Heller pdf, the united states supreme court issued its first decision since 1939 interpreting the second amendment to the united states constitution.
The book also provides some insights into the constitutions development and interpretations over time. The 2nd amendment guarantees the right of every american citizen to own a gun. Miller 1939, which is also the last time the court examined the amendment in any serious way. The constitution fifty second amendment act, 1985 15th february, 1985. In miller, the court affirmed a median interpretation holding that the second amendment protects an individual right to bear arms, but only if the arms in. The constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government. In the coming months, we will be making broader changes to. The second amendment amendment ii to the united states constitution protects the individual right to keep and bear arms. Second amendment contents, supreme court interpretations. This amendment is not considered controversial and has never been litigated before the united states supreme court. The second amendment, ratified in 1791, is one of 10 amendments that form the bill of rights. You added that the department of justice can and will continue to defend vigorously the constitution ality, under the second amendment, of all existing federal firearms laws. Constitution confers an individual right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes such as selfdefense. The second amendment of the united states constitution is the amendment of the united states bill of rights that protects the right to keep and bear arms.
The house of representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several. Second amendment to the united states constitution wikipedia. The belief was strong that a well regulated militia such as the national guard, in modern times was. Brooks comments off on definition of the 2nd amendment as written in the constitution follow us issues. The 2nd amendment was ratified on december 17, 1791, along with the other nine amendments that make up the bill of rights. One of the 10 amendments known as the bill of rights, the second amendments meaning and applicability. Be it enacted parliament in the thirtysixth year of the republic of india as follows. Second amendment, amendment to the constitution of the united states, adopted in 1791 as part of the bill of rights, that provided a constitutional check on congressional power under article i section 8 to organize, arm, and discipline the federal militia.
The 2nd amendment states 3 a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right. Twentyseventh amendment to the united states constitution. For students studying the constitution and the bill of rights, this lesson helps clarify the role of the supreme court and constitutional scholars in interpreting and. The text of the official copy when distributed to the states reads in the following manner. The sixteenth amendment to the united states constitution was ratified by state after state until it took effect on february 25, 19. The history of the second amendment constitution society. Second amendment to the united states constitution free. The second amendment, or amendment ii, of the united states constitution is the amendment and the section of the bill of rights that says that people have the right to keep and bear arms. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a congress of the united states, which shall consist of a senate and house of representatives. Amendment refers to the collective right of the body politic of every state to be protected by an independent state militia. No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
The 2nd amendment to the constitution of the united states has perhaps generated more emotion and controversy over the years than any other amendment because it involves the issue of guns. Sixteenth amendment to the united states constitution. Heller, the supreme court held that the second amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as selfdefense within the home. The second amendment of the us constitution is often referred to as giving citizens the right to bear arms. What is the second amendment to the us constitution. This 1page handout provides the original legislation as well as the document image for students to analyze with guiding questions for a better understanding of american documents and, in this case, the 2. The amendment clearly states that a wellregulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures.
A graphic adaptation is a pleasant meandering through the visionary. The constitution of the united states is the supreme law of the united states of america. Described by some as a preference for the civilian over the military, the third amendment forbids the forcible housing of military personnel in a citizens home during peacetime and requires the process to be prescribed by law in times of war. This legal brief argued that the second amendment to the united states constitution affirms the right of an individual to keep and bear arms, one that all law. The second amendment text is set against a scroll background in this printable constitution template. Heller pdf, the united states supreme court issued its first decision. The following text is a transcription of the enrolled original of the joint resolution of congress proposing the bill of rights, which is on permanent display in the rotunda at the national archives museum. The amendment is the most recent to be adopted, but one of the first proposed it was submitted by the 1st congress to the states for. Second amendment to the united states constitution. The constitution annotated provides a comprehensive overview of how the constitution has been interpreted over time and is now available on this new site with upgraded search capabilities. The second amendment was adopted into the united states constitution on december 15, 1791, along with the other amendments in the bill of rights.
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. On september 25, 1789, the first congress of the united states proposed 12 amendments to the constitution. Created on december 15, 1791, the second amendment to the united states constitution is the part of the united states bill of rights that establishes the right of citizens to possess firearms for lawful purposes. For more than 200 years, the constitution of the united states has been a working document, maintaining the original principles upon which our nation was founded while, at the same time, changing with the country, as reflected in its amendments. The first amendment page 1 of 4 the first amendment to the u. While it is a very short amendment, its exact meaning in terms of what types of weapons are protected and what constitutes a wellregulated militia is still in contention today. Twentyseven of these, having been ratified by the requisite number of states 38, since 1959, are part of the constitution. First amendment freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. The second amendment of the united states constitution reads. Constitution itself outlines the basic structure of the federal. Second amendment second amendment annotated a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The language of incorporation, born with the 14th amendment.
Sadly, less than 1 percent of the population paid income taxes in 19 at a rate of 1 percent of net income because of large deductions and exemptions. Preamble 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 article 1 legislative. Have the students describe the details of the symbol and identify what they think they will discuss during the lesson. Constitution 1 congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The spelling and punctuation reflects the original. A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The supreme court of the united states has ruled that the right belongs to individuals, while also ruling that the right is not unlimited and does not prohibit all. How to read and understand it why a grammar analysis is required an analysis based upon grammar is needed since so many people seem to have problems reading and understanding the basic english grammar of. A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to.
It says, a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The second amendment amendment ii to the united states constitution protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms and was adopted on december 15, 1791, as part of the first ten amendments contained in the bill of rights. Under americas first national government, the articles of confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. Constitution reads that a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. First, that the proposed new constitution gave the federal. Analyze the 2nd amendment to the constitution with this engaging, easy to use, noprep resource. It establishes the right to bear arms and figures prominently in the longrunning debate over gun control. Thirtythree amendments to the united states constitution have been proposed by the united states congress and sent to the states for ratification since the constitution was put into operation on march 4, 1789. Use the student observations about the symbol to start a broader discussion about the 2nd amendment, what the students will be doing, and why they are going to be doing it. The leadline to section 11 was a part of the measure submitted to the people by s. The court ruled that the second amendment to the u. The constitution of the united states national archives. The court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit, construing his complaint as seeking the right to render a firearm operable and carry it about his home in that condition only when necessary for selfdefense, 2. The second amendment reads, a well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep.
1474 885 401 1324 213 525 1604 593 908 1079 161 845 1510 461 767 1498 147 804 340 376 1453 1394 1383 1056 572 990 1030 16 1074 954 728 538 226 731 316 546 535 902 474 102 545 708 1431 427 357 754