The Third Amendment
Text Explained
During peacetime, a soldier may be housed or lodged in a person’s home only with the homeowner’s consent. During wartime, Congress can create a process for housing soldiers in private homes.
Historical Context
In the years before the Revolutionary War, colonists could be forced to house British soldiers in their private homes. In 1765, for example, the British Parliament passed the Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to be quartered, or housed, in private property, like inns and uninhabited homes, during peacetime. Colonists were forced to pay for the soldiers' food and supplies. In 1774, Parliament passed another Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to demand shelter from any American colonist; refusal was met with punishment. The colonists were so outraged by this violation of their property rights that they included this as a grievance in the Declaration of Independence.
Quartering of British soldiers in a colonist's home, 1770s.
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