U.S. Constitution · Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2

Property Clause; Territory Clause

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Also known as: Property Clause · Territory Clause

Live in the VFA record

Cited in 5 SI Solutions, 108 grades and 3 Think Tank ideas this month.

207 public items cite this provision · 116 in October 2026 (last month: 2)

Week of 2026-08-03: 1Week of 2026-08-10: 1Week of 2026-08-17: 1Week of 2026-08-24: 0Week of 2026-08-31: 2Week of 2026-09-07: 0Week of 2026-09-14: 1Week of 2026-09-21: 0Week of 2026-09-28: 0Week of 2026-10-05: 83Week of 2026-10-12: 33Week of 2026-10-19: 0

Citations per week, last 12 weeks

The text

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.

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

  • “This is a power of very great importance, and required by considerations similar to those which show the propriety of the former. The proviso annexed is proper in itself, and was probably rendered absolutely necessary by jealousies and questions concerning the Western territory sufficiently known to the public.” James Madison, The Federalist No. 43 (1788-01-23)
  • “The Legislature shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States: and nothing in this Constitution contained shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims either of the United States or of any particular State” Journal of the Federal Convention, Records of the Federal Convention: the Territory Clause (Journal, August 30, 1787) (1787-08-30)
  • “As the general government possesses the right to acquire territory, either by conquest, or by treaty, it would seem to follow, as an inevitable consequence, that it possesses the power to govern, what it has so acquired. The territory does not, when so acquired, become entitled to self-government, and it is not subject to the jurisdiction of any state. It must, consequently, be under the dominion and jurisdiction of the Union, or it would be without any government at all.” Joseph Story, Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, sections 1317-22 (1833-01-01)

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

Leading Supreme Court cases

Cited in the VFA record

“Where this provision is cited”

SI Solutions (17)

grades (108)

Showing the 25 most recent. All 108: JSON.

roll-call votes (79)

Showing the 25 most recent. All 79: JSON.

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), Article IV, Section 3, Clause 2, https://www.valuesforamerica.com/constitution/article-4/section-3/clause-2

Data: this provision as JSON.