The Bill of Rights: The Third Amendment

The Bill of Rights has guaranteed our freedoms and rights for over 200 years. In this regular series, Dean Leonard Baynes with the University of Houston Law Center looks at whether they still relate to society today.

"The Third Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits soldiers from demanding shelter from private citizens. This amendment states that soldiers may not reside in another's home during peacetime, without the owner's permission, and may only reside in an owner's home, during wartime, when the law requires."

"The Third Amendment was enacted because American colonists resented the British government. The Quartering Act of 1765 required colonial governments to provide housing and food for British troops stationed in their midst."

"In this context, James Madison introduced the Third Amendment – and fortified a growing American sentiment valuing personal rights over those of the military and the government."

"The Third Amendment is one of the least cited provisions of the Constitution. It does not apply to municipal police officers and has been used as a linchpin to the right of privacy."