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Exhibit 525

First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Exhibit 525 ยท Constitutional amendment

First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

Forbids Congress to make a law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise.

Source
United States Congress (ratified by the states 15 December 1791)
Date
15 December 1791
Quoted from
Amendment I
Grade
Primary record
Document
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript
Accessed
2026-11-09
Cited by
Findings citing this exhibit
Note
Binds Congress only; state establishments persisted (see New Hampshire 1784).

Cited by

Finding REL-2.8
Primary record In November 1784 the Virginia House of Delegates agreed, 47 to 32, that the people ought to pay a moderate annual tax for the support of the Christian religion or of some Christian church, and in January 1786 the General Assembly enacted that no man "shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever."