The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, religion, the press, assembly, and petition in the United States.
It was ratified on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. Its opening words restrict Congress from establishing a religion or interfering with its free exercise, then protect expression, publication, peaceful assembly, and petitions seeking government action.
The amendment was part of James Madison’s proposed package of amendments intended to answer concerns raised by opponents of the Constitution. In the original congressional proposal, what became the First Amendment was listed as the third article. The first two proposed articles were not ratified at that time, so it became the first amendment in the ratified Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment limits government action; it does not generally prevent private organizations or individuals from setting their own speech rules. Its protections have been interpreted and applied through later court decisions, making it one of the most frequently discussed provisions in American constitutional law.