Part First - Bill of Rights
Article 1. [Equality of Men; Origin and Object of Government.].
All men are born equally free and independent; therefore, all
government of right originates from the people, is founded in
consent, and instituted for the general good.
June 2, 1784*
*The date on which each article was proclaimed as having
been adoptedis given after each article. This is followed by the
year in which amendments were adopted and the subject matter of
all the amendments.
[Art.] 2. [Natural Rights.] All
men have certain natural, essential, and inherent rights
- among which are, the enjoying and defending life and liberty;
acquiring, possessing, and protecting, property; and, in a word,
of seeking and obtining happiness. Equality
of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this
state on account of race, creed, color, sex or national
origin.
June 2, 1784
Amended 1974 adding sentence to prohibit discrimination.
[Art.] 2-a. [The Bearing of Arms.]. All persons have
the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their
families, their property and the state.
December l, 1982
[Art.] 3. [Society, its Organization and Purposes.] When
men enter into a state of society, they
surrender up some of their natural rights to that
society, in order to ensure the protection of others; and,
without such an equivalent, the surrender is void.
June 2, 1784
[Art.] 4. [Rights of Conscience Unalienable.] Among
the natural rights, some are, in their very nature
unalienable, because no equivalent can be given
or received for them. Of this kind are the Rights of Conscience.
June 2, 1784
[Art.] 5. [Religious Freedom Recognized.] Every
individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God
according to the dictates of his own conscience, and reason; and
no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person,
liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season
most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his
religious profession, sentiments, or persuasion; provided
he doth not disturb the public peace or disturb others in their
religious worship.
June 2, 1784
[Art.] 6. [Morality and Piety.] As morality
and piety, rightly grounded on high principles, will give the
best and greatest security to government, and will lay,
in the hearts of men, the strongest obligations to due subjection;
and as the knowledge of these is most likely to be propagated
through a society, therefore, the several parishes, bodies, corporate,
or religious societies shall at all times
have the right of electing their own teachers, and of contracting
with them for their support or maintenance, or both. But
no person shall ever be compelled to pay
towards the support of the schools of any sect or denomination.
And every person, denomination or sect shall
be equally under the protection of the law; and no subordination
of any one sect, denomination or persuasion to another shall ever
be established.
June 2, 1784
Amended 1968 to remove obsolete sectarian references.
[Art.] 10. [Right of Revolution.] Government being instituted
for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole
community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any
one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends
of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered,
and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may,
and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government.
The doctrine of nonresistance ag ainst arbitrary power, and oppression,
is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness
of mankind.
June 2, 1784
[Art.] 13. [Conscientious Objectors not Compelled to Bear
Arms.] No person, who is conscientiously scrupulous about
the lawfulness of bearing arms, shall be compelled thereto.
June 2, 1784
Amended 1964 by striking out reference to buying one's way out
of military service.
[Art.] 22. [Free Speech; Liberty of the Press.] Free speech
and liberty of the press are essential to the security of freedom
in a state: They ought, therefore, to be inviolably preserved.
June 2, 1784
Amended 1968 to include free speech.