Third Amendment to the United States Constitution facts for kids

The Bill of Rights in the National Archives

James Madison, who helped write the Bill of Rights

The Third Amendment (also called Amendment III) is a part of the U.S. Constitution. It stops the government from forcing people to let soldiers live in their private homes. This rule is very important for protecting people's privacy and property.

This amendment completely bans soldiers from staying in private homes without the owner's permission when there is no war. During wartime, soldiers can only be housed in private homes if a law is passed to allow it, and only in the way that law describes.

Why We Have the Third Amendment

The Third Amendment was created because of problems before the American Revolutionary War.

• The British government passed laws called the Quartering Acts.
• These laws allowed British soldiers to live in private homes in the American colonies.
• This meant people had to let soldiers stay in their houses, even if they did not want to.
• The colonists felt this was unfair and a violation of their rights.
• The Third Amendment was written to make sure this would never happen again in the United States.

How the Amendment Was Added

• The Third Amendment was introduced in Congress in 1789.
• It was proposed by James Madison, who is often called the "Father of the Constitution."
• This amendment was part of the United States Bill of Rights.
• The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution because some people, called Anti-Federalists, worried the new Constitution did not protect individual freedoms enough.
• Congress sent the amendment to the states on September 28, 1789.
• Enough states approved it by December 15, 1791.
• Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson officially announced it was adopted on March 1, 1792.

Importance of the Third Amendment

The Third Amendment is one of the least talked about parts of the Constitution.

• It is very rarely used in court cases.
• The American Bar Association even called it the "runt piglet" of the U.S. Constitution. This means it is not used as much as other amendments.
• There have been a few times in history when the U.S. government might have gone against this amendment.
• These times include the War of 1812, the American Civil War, and during World War II in the Aleutian Islands.
• However, as of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court has never made a major decision based only on the Third Amendment.

Full Text of the Amendment

The exact words of the Third Amendment are:

"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."

See also

In Spanish: Tercera Enmienda a la Constitución de los Estados Unidos para niños