First Amendment to the United States Constitution

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. The first amendment limits the power of congress. The amendment does not allow congress to pass laws that establish a religion or restrict people's rights. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and right to petition.    

The Bill of Rights were passed to please the Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists liked the Bill of Rights because it made sure the government would respect the rights of people and not become too powerful.      

The Establishment Clause does not allow the government to support one religion more than any other religion. The government also cannot say that a religion or a god is true.  This is often described as "separation of church and state", where "state" means "The Government". It also does not allow the government to establish a national religion. It allows people to debate religion freely without the federal government of the United States getting involved.  The clause did not stop the various states from supporting a particular religion, and several states did.

 Related pages 
Freedom of speech in the United States
Constitutional amendment

Category:Freedom
Category:United States Bill of Rights
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