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Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world's longest surviving written charter of government.

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U.S. Senate: Constitution of the United States

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The Constitution of the United States. All four pages of the document are on permanent display at the National Archives. Read a Transcript.

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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 United States Constitution

The Constitution of the United States

All four pages of the document are on permanent display at the National Archives.

The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. Under America's first national government, the Articles of Confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might have ended as quickly as it had begun.

Back to Main Page What Does it Say?

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Español 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.

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There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments.

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There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments

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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.

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Historical Background on Citizenship Clause

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In 2018, Democracy NOW! spoke with historian Martha Jones about how the 14th Amendment came about.

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Birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment

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What is the 14th Amendment and how has it been applied throughout history? Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, explains the structures of the amendment and the different Supreme Court cases that shaped its application. Rosen also examines the central role that the 14th Amendment has played in the struggle for civil rights and its importance to racial equity.

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In this first of two video segments from The Supreme Court, learn how the nine justices evolved in their decisions to interpret the 14th Amendment as the nation moved forward after the war.

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The Fourteenth Amendment - Part I | PBS LearningMedia

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By the end of the Civil War, the Union victory over the Confederate states marked a dramatic change in American history with the abolition of slavery and new amendments written into the U.S. Constitution.

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After years of radical republicans in Congress working to ensure the protection of the blacks in the South to gain education, buy property, marry, run for office, and vote, white Southerners as well as Northerners tired of Reconstruction. This shift in attitude was acknowledged and echoed by all but one justice on the Supreme Court in their decision in 1883 to render in instances of violation of civil liberties that “individual behaviors do not offend the Constitution. This decision marked the end of federal protections for individuals in states and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation. In the second of two video segments from The Supreme Court, learn how this momentous decision evolved.

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The Fourteenth Amendment - Part II | PBS LearningMedia

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After years of radical republicans in Congress working to ensure the protection of the blacks in the South to gain education, buy property, marry, run for office, and vote, white Southerners as well as Northerners tired of Reconstruction. This shift in attitude was acknowledged and echoed by all but one justice on the Supreme Court in their decision in 1883 to render in instances of violation of civil liberties that “individual behaviors do not offend the Constitution. This decision marked the end of federal protections for individuals in states and the beginning of Jim Crow segregation. In the second of two video segments from The Supreme Court, learn how this momentous decision evolved. To learn more, see “The Fourteenth Amendment - Part I.”

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Amdt14.S1.6.2.3 Laws Regulating Working Conditions and Wages

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The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is a key part of employment law and labor rights. The amendment's Equal Protection Clause protects individuals from discrimination in employment, and has been the basis for many employment laws.

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Eric Foner, Professor of History at Columbia University, discusses the creation and contents of the Fourteenth Amendment.

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Scholars Edition: Eric Foner, 14th Amendment

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Of all the amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the 14th is a big one. It's shaped all of our lives, whether we realize it or not: Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, Bush v. Gore, plus other Supreme Court cases that legalized same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, access to birth control — they've all been built on the back of the 14th. The amendment was ratified after the Civil War, and it's packed full of lofty phrases like due process, equal protection, and liberty. But what do those words really guarantee us? On the podcast, how the 14th Amendment has remade America – and how America has remade the 14th.

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Ratified in 1868, the 14th Amendment granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." This guide provides access to digital collections, websites, and print materials related to the amendment.

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The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," which included former slaves recently freed. In addition, it forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." By directly mentioning the role of the states, the 14th Amendment greatly expanded the protection of civil rights to all Americans and is cited in more litigation than any other amendment.

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Research Guides: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Primary Documents in American History: Introduction

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The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," which included former slaves recently freed. In addition, it forbids states from denying any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

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Use these simple social-emotional learning activities to incorporate SEL in your lesson plans and classroom routines.

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What is Social-Emotional Learning, and What Are Its Benefits?

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which people develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

According to CASEL, research shows that integrating SEL activities in your lesson plans and classroom routines leads to positive outcomes, including better academic performance and decreases in stress and anxiety. The benefits of social-emotional learning at school extend into adulthood. Being able to build positive relationships, understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, develop a healthy sense of identity, and feel and show empathy are all lasting advantages that social-emotional learning offers.

As one of just 12 middle and high school programs endorsed for social-emotional learning by ESSA, Facing History integrates SEL throughout its curricular resources. We've also curated a number of simple social-emotional learning activities that you can implement within your own lesson plans and as regular classroom routines.

Activities to Integrate Social and Emotional Learning in Your Classroom

Build your students' SEL skills through these simple classroom routines and flexible activities.

All of our SEL activities are designed by a team of curriculum developers with scholarly expertise, many of whom are former teachers. While they're primarily geared toward middle school and high school students, many of them could be adapted for other contexts as well.

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28 Social-Emotional Learning Activities for the Classroom

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Use these simple social-emotional learning activities to incorporate SEL in your lesson plans and classroom routines.