U.S. Constitution · Amendment I · ratified 1791-12-15

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

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Also known as: Establishment Clause · Free Exercise Clause · Free Speech Clause · Free Press Clause · Assembly Clause · Petition Clause

Live in the VFA record

Cited in 7 SI Solutions, 367 grades and 2 Think Tank ideas this month.

908 public items cite this provision · 376 in October 2026 (last month: 37)

Week of 2026-08-03: 7Week of 2026-08-10: 1Week of 2026-08-17: 1Week of 2026-08-24: 0Week of 2026-08-31: 11Week of 2026-09-07: 0Week of 2026-09-14: 15Week of 2026-09-21: 4Week of 2026-09-28: 9Week of 2026-10-05: 313Week of 2026-10-12: 63Week of 2026-10-19: 0

Citations per week, last 12 weeks

The text

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 the Government for a redress of grievances.

National Archives transcription (public domain; original spelling and capitalization). archives.gov

SI explainer

An explainer for this provision is in the queue. It appears here once it passes the SI Editorial Standard’s automated checks. The text, founding-era sources and live citations below are complete.

In the founders’ words

  • “I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and to the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers not granted; and, on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do?” Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 84 (1788-05-28)
  • “What is the liberty of the press? Who can give it any definition which would not leave the utmost latitude for evasion?” Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 84 (1788-05-28)
  • “we discern certain rights, as the freedom of the press, and the trial by jury, &c. which the people of England and of America of course believe to be sacred, and essential to their political happiness, and this belief in them is the result of ideas at first suggested to them by a few able men, and of subsequent experience; while the people of some other countries hear these rights mentioned with the utmost indifference; they think the privilege of existing at the will of a despot much preferable to them.” The Federal Farmer, Letters from the Federal Farmer, No. 16 (1788-01-20)
  • “For instance, the liberty of the press, which has been a copious source of declamation and opposition--what control can proceed from the Federal government to shackle or destroy that sacred palladium of national freedom?” James Wilson, James Wilson, State House Yard Speech, October 6, 1787 (1787-10-06)
  • “First the omission of a bill of rights providing clearly and without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction against monopolies, the eternal and unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land and not by the law of Nations.” Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, December 20, 1787 (1787-12-20)
  • “The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed. The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.” James Madison, James Madison, Speech Proposing Amendments, House of Representatives, June 8, 1789 (Annals of Congress 1:448-60) (1789-06-08)
  • “No State shall violate the equal rights of conscience, or the freedom of the press, or the trial by jury in criminal cases.” James Madison, James Madison, Speech Proposing Amendments, House of Representatives, June 8, 1789 (Annals of Congress 1:448-60) (1789-06-08)
  • “The prescriptions in favor of liberty ought to be levelled against that quarter where the greatest danger lies, namely, that which possesses the highest prerogative of power. But this is not found in either the Executive or Legislative departments of Government, but in the body of the people, operating by the majority against the minority.” James Madison, James Madison, Speech Proposing Amendments, House of Representatives, June 8, 1789 (Annals of Congress 1:448-60) (1789-06-08)
  • “Mr. Madison said, he apprehended the meaning of the words to be, that Congress should not establish a religion, and enforce the legal observation of it by law, nor compel men to worship God in any manner contrary to their conscience.” House of Representatives, House of Representatives, Debate on Amendments, August 15, 1789 (Annals of Congress) (1789-08-15)
  • “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association, January 1, 1802 (1802-01-01)

Public-domain primary sources, quoted word for word and checked against the linked text.

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Cited in the VFA record

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SI Solutions (33)

Showing the 25 most recent. All 33: JSON.

grades (367)

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roll-call votes (506)

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Roll-call votes are listed when the measure voted on has a current Constitution Index grade citing this provision. Counts include only published items.

Cite this page

Values for America Constitution Explorer, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution (text: National Archives transcription, public domain), Amendment I, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution/amendment-1

Data: this provision as JSON.