What is the First and Fourth Amendment?
Asked by: Mara Spencer | Last update: February 11, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (5 votes)
The First Amendment protects fundamental freedoms like religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the government, while the Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, generally requiring warrants based on probable cause for lawful searches. Both are key parts of the U.S. Bill of Rights, ensuring personal liberties and limiting government power.
What are the first 10 amendments?
Amendments to the Constitution
- First Amendment Fundamental Freedoms.
- Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms.
- Third Amendment Quartering Soldiers.
- Fourth Amendment Searches and Seizures.
- Fifth Amendment Rights of Persons.
- Sixth Amendment Rights in Criminal Prosecutions.
- Seventh Amendment Civil Trial Rights.
What is the First and 4th Amendment?
First Amendment [Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, Petition (1791)] (see explanation) Second Amendment [Right to Bear Arms (1791)] (see explanation) Third Amendment [Quartering of Troops (1791)] (see explanation) Fourth Amendment [Search and Seizure (1791)] (see explanation)
What is the full First Amendment?
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects fundamental rights, stating: "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." This ensures freedom of religion (Establishment & Free Exercise Clauses), speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government, though these rights aren't absolute and have defined exceptions like incitement or obscenity.
What is the 3rd and 4th Amendment?
The Third Amendment prohibits the government from forcing private citizens to house soldiers, while the Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures, requiring warrants based on probable cause for lawful searches. Both amendments stem from colonial grievances against British rule and aim to secure property and privacy rights against government intrusion, forming key parts of the Bill of Rights.
The 4th Amendment Explained
What does the 2nd Amendment say?
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "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". It protects an individual's right to possess firearms, primarily for self-defense in the home, though it also connects to militia service and allows for reasonable regulations, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in landmark cases like District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. City of Chicago.
What is the full 5th Amendment?
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be ...
What speech is not protected by the First Amendment?
Speech not protected by the First Amendment generally falls into categories like incitement to immediate violence, true threats, defamation (libel/slander), obscenity, child pornography, and speech integral to criminal conduct (like fraud), as well as "fighting words" that provoke immediate violence, though this category is narrowly applied. These exceptions allow government restriction because they don't contribute to the marketplace of ideas and often directly cause harm.
Did the founding fathers put God in the Constitution?
No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God or a supreme being in its main text, a deliberate choice by the Founding Fathers to establish a secular government and protect religious freedom, though it does contain a date reference ("Year of our Lord") and the First Amendment prevents religious tests for office, reflecting a consensus on separation of church and state despite their personal faith.
What is America's 4th Amendment?
The Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government, requiring that any warrants be based on probable cause, supported by oath, and specifically describe the place to be searched and items to be seized, safeguarding privacy in one's person, home, papers, and effects. It balances individual privacy rights with legitimate government interests, meaning not all searches are prohibited, only unreasonable ones, often requiring warrants for intrusions into protected areas.
Can police enter your backyard without permission?
No, police generally cannot enter your backyard without permission or a warrant, as it's protected by the Fourth Amendment, but exceptions exist for emergencies (like hot pursuit or immediate danger), consent, open fields doctrine (if far from the house), plain view of a crime, or if someone on probation/parole allows it. They can usually approach your door if it's public access, but climbing a fence or entering a locked area without justification is a violation.
What is my 5th Amendment right?
When it comes to criminal justice in Los Angeles, there are no more famous words than “you have the right to remain silent.” This is a right rooted in the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, and protected also by the California Constitution in Article 1, § 15.
Are cell phones protected by the 4th Amendment?
Fourth Amendment doctrine generally permits the warrantless seizure of cell phones used to record violent arrests, on the theory that the recording contains evidence of a crime.
What are the most important amendments?
First Amendment: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. Second Amendment: the right of the people to keep and bear arms. Third Amendment: restricts housing soldiers in private homes. Fourth Amendment: protects against unreasonable search and seizure.
Who wrote the Bill of Rights?
Writing the Bill of Rights
The amendments James Madison proposed were designed to win support in both houses of Congress and the states. He focused on rights-related amendments, ignoring suggestions that would have structurally changed the government.
What rights are not in the Constitution?
The Supreme Court has found that unenumerated rights include such important rights as the right to travel, the right to vote, and the right to keep personal matters private.
What did Albert Einstein say about Jesus?
Though Jewish, Albert Einstein expressed deep admiration for Jesus Christ, calling him a "luminous figure" whose personality "pulsates in every word" of the Gospels, acknowledging Jesus's historical existence and his profound, "divine" teachings, even if some sayings echoed earlier prophets, while advocating for a purified Christianity stripped of priestly dogma, focusing on Jesus's ethical message for humanity.
Did all 613 laws come from God?
Yes, the 613 mitzvot (commandments) in Judaism are traditionally considered to have been given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, forming the core of the Torah, though the Bible doesn't explicitly state the number 613; Jewish tradition, particularly Maimonides' work, compiled and enumerated them from the texts of the Torah, with the Ten Commandments serving as a summary of these broader laws. The exact list and interpretation vary, with some laws being ceremonial, moral, or judicial, and not all are applicable today.
What did Stephen Hawking say about God?
Stephen Hawking stated that science offers better explanations for the universe's origins than religion, concluding there is no God or divine creator, and that the universe arose spontaneously from nothing according to physical laws, not divine will, seeing no need for a higher power to set things in motion. While initially suggesting God might have set the laws, he later clarified he was an atheist, believing the simplest explanation is no God and that humans invented God to explain the unexplainable, which science now addresses.
Is the f word protected speech?
Yes, the "f-word" (profanity/obscenity) is generally protected speech under the First Amendment, as the Supreme Court has ruled that offensive or vulgar words alone aren't enough to restrict speech; however, it loses protection if it crosses into unprotected categories like "fighting words" (direct personal insults likely to provoke violence), true threats, or is part of obscenity, though courts have narrowed these exceptions significantly, as seen in the Brandi Levy case where school-related online swearing was protected.
What is considered hate speech?
Hate speech is communication that attacks or demeans a group or individual based on characteristics like race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, often inciting hatred, discrimination, or violence, though its legal definition varies, with U.S. law largely protecting offensive speech unless it crosses into threats or incitement, while international standards are stricter. It's characterized by vilification, humiliation, or promoting hostility against protected groups, impacting social cohesion.
Which type of speech is considered unprotected?
Speech not protected by the First Amendment generally falls into categories like incitement to imminent lawless action, true threats, obscenity, defamation (libel/slander), fighting words, fraud, child pornography, and speech integral to criminal conduct, though the lines can be narrow and context-dependent, with the bar for unprotected speech being very high. These exceptions don't apply to lies in general, which are usually protected, but do cover specific harmful falsehoods like fraud and defamation.
Why is it bad to plead the 5th?
Invoking Fifth Amendment rights can lead to severe consequences, such as inferences of liability in civil cases or termination from employment for refusing to answer questions about corporate crimes.
What is the full 6th Amendment?
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be ...
Can a President change the Constitution?
The Constitution does not give a president the power to violate the Constitution, create or change congressional statutes, or override U.S. Supreme Court decisions—no matter what the EOs say.