Bill of Rights · 1st Amendment
First Amendment
Ratified December 15, 1791
Verbatim
Exact text as ratified.
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.
Plain English
A translation that drops archaic words but keeps the meaning, including the parts courts still argue about.
The government cannot establish an official religion or stop you from practicing your own. The government cannot take away your right to speak freely, publish what you want, gather peacefully with others, or formally ask the government to fix problems.
What this means for you
You can practice any religion, or no religion at all, and the government cannot favor one over another. You can say things the government disagrees with, including criticism of the government itself. You can publish your opinions, online or anywhere else. You can attend protests, rallies, and meetings. You can sign petitions, write to officials, file complaints, and demand answers from your government.
These rights have limits. Speech that directly causes harm — true threats, fraud, perjury — is not protected. Schools and workplaces have some additional rules. Public protests on public land are generally protected, but blocking traffic or trespassing on private property is not. The line between protected and unprotected speech is one of the most actively litigated questions in American law.
What this means for you — at school
Public schools are part of the government, so the First Amendment applies, with some special rules. You generally have the right to express your views at school, including unpopular ones, as long as you do not substantially disrupt classes. Schools can require dress codes, restrict what student newspapers publish, and discipline speech that is threatening, harassing, or seriously disruptive. Religious expression — wearing religious symbols, praying privately, joining student-led religious clubs — is generally protected. Schools cannot lead prayers or favor one religion over another. Private schools are not bound by the First Amendment because they are not the government.
About
The First Amendment was ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. As originally written, it only restricted Congress, meaning state and local governments could establish religion, restrict speech, or ban assemblies. The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, changed this. Through Supreme Court cases starting in the early 1900s, courts ruled that the First Amendment now restricts every level of government: federal, state, county, and city. This is why the plain-English version above says "the government" rather than just "Congress."
Courts continue to actively interpret what each of the five freedoms covers. Major ongoing questions include: Does the right to free speech include corporate political spending? Does it cover speech on private platforms like social media? When can the government regulate misleading speech? These are not settled — different courts have ruled different ways, and the Supreme Court has revisited several of them in recent decades.