1ST AMENDMENT (First Amendment) Rights, Text – Kids Laws
The First Amendment, sometimes called Amendment 1, is the first amendment to the United States Constitution and is also one out of ten amendments in the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment makes it illegal to make a law that establishes a religion, stops the freedom of speech, stops people from practicing their religion, stops the press from printing what they want, and stops people from exercising their right to assemble peacefully or demonstrating against the government.
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.
There are many key phrases in the First Amendment. Here are some explanations on what exactly they mean.
Freedom of religion: The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prevents the government from setting up or establishing an official religion of the country. American Citizens have the freedom to attend a church, mosque, synagogue, temple, or another house of worship of their choice. They can also choose to not be involved in any religion as well. Because of the First Amendment, we can practice our religion however we want to.
Freedom of speech: The First Amendment of the United States Constitution stops the government from making any laws that may stop us from saying what we feel or think. The American people have the right to share their opinions with other people or criticize the government.
Freedom of the press: Freedom of the press means we have the right to get information from many different sources of information. The government does not have the power to control what is broadcasted on radio or TV, what is printed in books or newspapers, or what is offered online. American citizens can request time on TV to respond to any views that they disagree with. They can also write letters to newspapers, which might be printed for other readers to see. Americans can also pass out leaflets that state their opinions. They may also their own online web pages that have their opinions.
Freedom of assembly: American citizens have the right to come together in private and public gatherings. Citizens can join groups for religious, social, recreational, or political reasons. By organizing in order to act on a common idea and accomplish a common goal, American citizens can more easily spread their ideas to others.
Right to petition: The right to petition the government means that American citizens can ask for adjustments or changes in the government. Citizens can do this by collecting signatures for petitions and sending them to elected representatives. They can also call, e-mail, or write to their elected representatives as well. Another way they can petition the government is by creating support groups that try to cause change by lobbying the government.
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1ST AMENDMENT (First Amendment) Rights, Text - Kids Laws
- Flag on the play: First Amendment problems with NIL regulation - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - July 21st, 2026 [July 21st, 2026]
- Removal of CLARITY Acts Section 604 Could Spark First Amendment Battle, Industry Executives Warn - Cryptonews.net - July 21st, 2026 [July 21st, 2026]
- The Forever War and the First Amendment - | Knight First Amendment Institute - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Judge dismisses Chelan County deputies' claim that Morrison violated their First Amendment rights - The Wenatchee World - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS7th Cir.: Former Chicago firefighter cannot revive First Amendment claims involving racist Facebook posts - VitalLaw.com - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- AI Chatbots Are at Risk of Spreading Government Restrictions on Online Speech, a New Study Says - First Amendment Watch - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Viral video at Pride protest prompts Fort Worth police to review First Amendment rights training - WFAA - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- A New Jersey Judge Defies the First Amendment by Censoring News Coverage of a High School Lockdown - Yahoo - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- 'They're Violating My First Amendment Right': A Video of a Man Being Removed From a Public Park During Arab Fest Is Dividing X - The Daily Dot - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- DOJ weighs civil rights probe into Fort Worth police over alleged First Amendment violations - Fox News - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Human Rights Groups Sue Over Trump Administrations Sanctions on ICC for Investigations Into Israel - First Amendment Watch - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment Discussion with Journalists and Legal Experts Set for July 21 at National Press Club - PR Newswire - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- When Speech or Association Undercuts the Mission: A First Amendment Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies - States United Democracy Center - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Elon professors join FCC filing on First Amendment, broadcast journalism - Elon University - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Letter to the Editor: SCC School Board must respect the First Amendment - baldwin-bulletin.com - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Subpoenas Issued to NY Times Reporters Seen as Unprecedented Threat To Press Freedom - First Amendment Watch - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Florida Government Weekly Roundup: Crossing The First Amendment - NorthEscambia.com - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- David Schwartz invokes First Amendment to defend XRP sports ads - Cryptonews.net - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment Protects Universities From Florida's Stop WOKE Act - Reason Magazine - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Warwick tries to bar critic from disclosing information obtained in First Amendment suit - The Boston Globe - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- South Milwaukee Orders Residents to Take Down Whimsical Skeleton Display, a Violation of Their First Amendment Rights - The Institute for Justice - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- ABC Fights Back Against FCC Regulators in Dispute Over The View and Equal Time Rules - First Amendment Watch - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- How does the First Amendment apply to AI regulation in hiring and health care? - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- Judge Orders E. Jean Carroll Be Paid $5.8M in Trump Sex Abuse and Defamation Case; Trump Appeals - First Amendment Watch - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- First Amendment wins at Supreme Court to the horror of liberal justices - Washington Examiner - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- Florida Tried to Stop Woke. The First Amendment Stopped Florida. - Cloaking Inequity - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- ABC fires back at FCC investigation of 'The View' in new comments calling it a First Amendment violation - Fox News - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- The Equal Rights Amendment and the First Amendment: A Roadmap for a Feminist Future - Ms. Magazine - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Expressive Governance Is a First Amendment Threat Hiding in Plain Sight - Tech Policy Press - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Party Spending in Federal Elections, Backing Republican Appeal - First Amendment Watch - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Another New York Resident Says He Was Warned by Officers After Criticizing ICE - First Amendment Watch - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Gateway Church wins tithing lawsuit dismissal as federal judge cites First Amendment - The Roys Report - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- ACLU raises First Amendment concerns over Hartland library boards decision to reshelve LGBTQ+ books - News From The States - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Weakening Government Coercion by Strengthening Government Regulation - | Knight First Amendment Institute - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Former Executive Sues Meta Over Attempts To Silence Her Memoir, Careless People - First Amendment Watch - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- ACLU raises First Amendment concerns over Hartland library boards decision to reshelve LGBTQ+ books - Iosco County News Herald - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- New York City Council Candidate Is Accused of Forgery Over AI-Generated Posts - First Amendment Watch - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Why the Prairieland case is more about disproportionate justice than it is the First Amendment - Media Nation - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Reflecting on Americas 250th anniversary: The First Amendment - Princeton University Press - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- How does the First Amendment apply to AI? - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- 8 Convicted in Texas Immigration Center Shooting and Protest Are Sentenced to Decades in Prison - First Amendment Watch - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Justice Department Withdraws Subpoenas That Sought Reporters Grand Jury Testimony, Sources Say - First Amendment Watch - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Fence surrounding Eugene Federal Building to be removed within 48 hours, judge rules violation of First Amendment rights - Daily Emerald - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Addressing Power Concentration: What to Do About the Office of Management and Budget? - | Knight First Amendment Institute - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Pro-life non-profit to stand trial in first of its kind First Amendment lawsuit - Pregnancy Help News - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- 'Relentless, UN-AMERICAN': Trump escalates attacks on the First Amendment to STARTLING new level - Yahoo - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Judge orders release of Palestinian rights advocate, citing likely First Amendment violation - Muslim Network TV - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Colberts the Beginning, The First Amendment Battle Continues | Opinion - Newsweek - June 22nd, 2026 [June 22nd, 2026]
- IAFF-backed First Amendment lawsuits advance toward trial - IAFF - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Revisiting the First Amendment, which created the architecture of state control in India - The Indian Express - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- CCIA Files Brief Arguing that Texas App Store Law Likely Violates First Amendment - CCIA - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Knight Institute, Sen. Welch, and Mohsen Mahdawi Warn Against Weaponization of Immigration Law - | Knight First Amendment Institute - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- The First Amendment can be expressed in countless ways, such as painting a crosswalk. - Monterey County Weekly - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- American opinion: Protecting the First Amendment - Grand Forks Herald - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- UNs Albanese faces uphill battle with First Amendment case seeking to end sanctions against her - Washington Examiner - June 19th, 2026 [June 19th, 2026]
- Bill Introduced in Congress To Codify the First Amendment Right To Film the Feds and Sue for Violations - Yahoo - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Of Slop and Swarms: The First Amendment's Next Test - | Knight First Amendment Institute - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Will the First Amendment Affect the Midterms? Government Pressure to Control Speech and AI Tools Worries Americans - American Enterprise Institute -... - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Fort Wayne Death Doula Secures Final Victory in First Amendment Lawsuit Challenging States Restrictions on Discussing End-of-Life Care - The Institute... - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- NJ reproductive health bill raises First Amendment concerns - The Jersey Vindicator - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Roll Call. Clicks and confrontation are the real goal of First Amendment auditors - Shaw Local - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Southern Baptists Want to Shrink First Amendment Protections - Word&Way - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Armstrong responds to backlash over his endorsements I didnt give up my first amendment rights when I became governor - WDAY Radio - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- On Mormons, The Pentagon, And The First Amendment - Patheos - June 12th, 2026 [June 12th, 2026]
- Philly Cops Admit That Theyre Tracking First Amendment Activity Critical of AI - The Intercept - June 3rd, 2026 [June 3rd, 2026]
- Free Speech Unmuted: The First Amendment and Privacy Rights - Reason Magazine - June 3rd, 2026 [June 3rd, 2026]
- Join the Conversation: The First Amendment and the American Flag - WSHU - June 3rd, 2026 [June 3rd, 2026]
- What Is the Equal Opportunities Rule? FCC Regulation Explained as ABC Claims First Amendment Violation - Freedom Forum - June 3rd, 2026 [June 3rd, 2026]
- VICTORY! Tennessee man jailed 37 days for Trump meme wins $835,000 settlement after First Amendment lawsuit - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights... - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- 'If you can frighten people, you can control them': Journalist Alex Berenson warns about fear-based tactics after securing $150K First Amendment... - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- The First Amendment exists to protect speech we dont want to hear - CT Mirror - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- ACLU of Indiana reaches settlement in First Amendment lawsuit against Ball State University - WTHI-TV - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Justice Department Appeals Federal Judges Ruling That First Amendment Protections Apply to Sanctioned UN Special Rapporteur - Foundation for Defense... - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- Q&A: Anna Gomez Is the Sole Democrat on the FCC. She Has a Warning for Big Media Companies - First Amendment Watch - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- How does the First Amendment apply to protesters at church? Onondaga County lawmakers consider question raised by new bill - AOL.com - May 27th, 2026 [May 27th, 2026]
- A free press is for all of us. Why I cover the First Amendment - The Tennessean - May 17th, 2026 [May 17th, 2026]
- First Amendment rights at center of clash between Pa. schools and students over ICE walkouts - LancasterOnline - May 17th, 2026 [May 17th, 2026]
- Letter to the Editor: An assault on the First Amendment - Brattleboro Reformer - May 16th, 2026 [May 16th, 2026]
- Re-Aligning Incentives in the Democratic Public Sphere - | Knight First Amendment Institute - May 13th, 2026 [May 13th, 2026]
- In Legal Dispute Over The View, ABC Argues Trump Administration Is Trying To Chill Free Speech - First Amendment Watch - May 13th, 2026 [May 13th, 2026]