Sources and how we check
Where the text comes from, how the plain-language layers are written, and how we check them.
The original text
The original words of the Constitution, all 27 amendments, and the Declaration of Independence come from the National Archives. We retrieved them on April 30, 2026.
- Constitution transcript
- Bill of Rights transcript (Amendments 1–10)
- Amendments 11–27 transcript
- Declaration of Independence transcript
Original spelling and capitals are kept, such as "chuse" and "defence." Text that a later amendment changed is kept as written, and the plain version notes which amendment changed it. Nothing is silently rewritten. The site's build checks that every quoted phrase matches the original exactly.
The plain-language layers
Hope for Americans writes the plain English, the "what this means for you" cards, and the situation cards. They are not copied from any other source.
Where a page says what the law is today, it names the Supreme Court case and year. Where judges and lawyers still disagree, the page says so and describes each side fairly.
These layers have not been reviewed by a lawyer. They are checked by a separate fact-check pass against the text and the cases named. That is not the same as legal review, and it is not legal advice.
Writing rules
- One idea per sentence. Short paragraphs.
- Define legal words the first time they appear. Tap any underlined word for a quick definition.
- No idioms or sarcasm, so the meaning is always literal.
- The same labels and layout on every page.
- A heads-up before hard history, such as slavery. We explain it plainly and never cut it from the original text.
- No side-taking on debated questions.
Read the cases yourself
- Oyez has free summaries and audio of Supreme Court arguments.
- CourtListener has full opinions.
- Supreme Court opinions are published by the Court.
License
The original text is public domain. Our plain-language layers are licensed CC BY 4.0. You can reuse them if you credit freeconstitution.org.