Humanities › Issues Text of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution Text of the Second Amendment Print An open-carry advocate holds a copy of the Constitution in Fort Worth, Texas. Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc / Contributor / Getty Images Issues The U. S. Government U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights History & Major Milestones U.S. Legal System U.S. Political System Defense & Security Campaigns & Elections Business & Finance U.S. Foreign Policy U.S. Liberal Politics U.S. Conservative Politics Women's Issues Civil Liberties The Middle East Race Relations Immigration Crime & Punishment Canadian Government Understanding Types of Government View More By Martin Kelly Martin Kelly History Expert M.A., History, University of Florida B.A., History, University of Florida Martin Kelly, M.A., is a history teacher and curriculum developer. He is the author of "The Everything American Presidents Book" and "Colonial Life: Government." Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on January 07, 2019 The 2nd Amendment was ratified on December 17, 1791, along with the other nine amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. While it is a very short amendment, its exact meaning in terms of what types of weapons are protected and what constitutes a well-regulated militia is still in contention today. Text of the 2nd Amendment A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Kelly, Martin. "Text of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/us-constitution-2nd-amendment-text-105397. Kelly, Martin. (2020, August 27). Text of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/us-constitution-2nd-amendment-text-105397 Kelly, Martin. "Text of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/us-constitution-2nd-amendment-text-105397 (accessed April 23, 2024). copy citation