The British Quartering Act and the Third Amendment

John Marshall, as painted by artist James Reid Lambdin.

The Five Nation Confederacy. Engraving from Pere Joseph Francois Lafitau, "Moeurs des sauvages ameriquains." Paris, 1724.

Jim Obergefell was married to his husband John Arthur on a medical jet in Maryland shortly before Arthur died of ALS. Obergefell holds his wedding band that has been fused together with Arthur's ashes and wedding ring. (Credit: Maddie McGarvey/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Thomas Jefferson and the Insurrection Act

How the U.S. Constitution Has Changed and Expanded Since 1787

What is Federalism and Why Did the Founding Fathers Create It?

How the Salem Witch Trials Influenced the U.S. Justice System

Exterior of Supreme Court of the United States on First Street in Washington, D.C., with statue by James Earle Fraser titled Authority of Law.

Voting Rights Milestones in America: Timeline

The U.S. Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, created America’s federal government, established fundamental laws and legal structures while guaranteeing certain basic rights for American citizens.

United States Constitution

The U.S. Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, created America’s federal government, established fundamental laws and legal structures while guaranteeing certain basic rights for American citizens.

United States Constitution Archives | History.com

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HISTORY

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History

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

Colonial America was a vast land settled by Spanish, Dutch, French and English immigrants who established colonies such as St. Augustine, Florida; Jamestown, Virginia; and Roanoke in present-day North Carolina.

Colonial America

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

US Government

Sarah Pruitt is a writer and editor based in seacoast New Hampshire. She has been a frequent contributor to History.com since 2005, and is the author of Breaking History: Vanished! (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances.

Sarah Pruitt

<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__msbeckylittle.tumblr.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=zmyoc9Pijw9wmJOCBZEXDORhhj0TxUZKXRRMCwVGaTI&amp;e=">Becky Little</a> is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_MsBeckyLittle&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=vkbwVD5s79Na0AuPtG5PY8OTUvwTHP3BjHLGApztU4w&amp;e=">@MsBeckyLittle</a>.

Becky Little

Dave Roos is a freelance writer based in the United States and Mexico. A longtime contributor to HowStuffWorks, Dave has also been published in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek.&nbsp;

Dave Roos

Lesley Kennedy is a features writer and editor living in Denver with her husband and two daughters. Her work has appeared in national and regional newspapers, magazines and websites.

Lesley Kennedy

Suzanne McGee

Immigration, the movement of people living in one country into another country, is a fundamental aspect of human history, though it was as controversial hundreds of years ago as it is today.

Immigration

Native American history spans an array of diverse groups and leaders like Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Tecumseh, and events like the Trail of Tears, the French and Indian War and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Native American History

The fight for women's rights and women's suffrage, which predated the famous Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, is one of the most important civil rights struggles in U.S. history.

Women's Rights

The gay rights movement is the struggle for equality and marriage rights for gay, lesbian and transgendered people. Milestones include the Stonewall Riots, the trial of Oscar Wilde and the assassination of Harvey Milk.

Gay Rights

From raising families to leading armies, women such as Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Elizabeth I, Susan B. Anthony, Marie Curie and countless others have played a vital role in human civilization.

Women’s History

Explore centuries of Native American history and heritage.&nbsp;

Native Americans

The years following the American Revolution were challenging for the new nation, which struggled with the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, Federalism, the Alien and Sedition Acts and more.

Early US

Protests And Rebellions

The civil rights movement was a struggle for justice and equality for African Americans that took place mainly in the 1950s and 1960s. It was led by people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Little Rock Nine and many others.&nbsp;

Civil Rights Movement

In the early 20th century, America was flexing its economic and political muscle on the international stage. The era was defined by the temperance movement, Progressive-era activism, the sinking of the Titanic and World War I.

Early 20th Century US

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements.

Black History

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded control over politics and business.

United States Constitution ‑ Stories

8 Landmark Supreme Court Cases That Were Overturned

5 Historic Supreme Court Rulings Based on the 14th Amendment

How John Marshall Expanded the Power of the Supreme Court

How the Salem Witch Trials Influenced the American Legal System

Voting Rights Milestones in America: A Timeline

The Native American Government That Helped Inspire the US Constitution

How the US Constitution Has Changed and Expanded Since 1787

Why We Have the Third Amendment—and Why It Rarely Comes Up in Court

Thomas Jefferson Signed the Insurrection Act in 1807 to Foil a Plot by Aaron Burr

When the Founding Fathers Settled States’ vs. Federal Rights—And Saved the Nation

The Founding Fathers Feared Foreign Influence—And Devised Protections Against It

Before Drafting the Bill of Rights, James Madison Argued the Constitution Was Fine Without It