The Bill of Rights: Amendment III

“No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”

One of the “Intolerable Acts” imposed upon American Colonists by the British Parliament and King George III in response to the Boston Tea Party was the Quartering Act. The Quartering Act gave royal governors the power to quarter (billet) red coats in any town and house they chose without permission of the owner. Imagine having your house and property taken over by soldiers who are ostensibly living in your home to protect you, but in reality are being used by the government to coerce citizens into abject compliance and obedience. True to the American spirit, the Quartering Act and the other Intolerable Acts, of the Boston Port Act and the Massachusetts Government and Administration of Justice Acts, ignited the colonists’ impulse for self-government.

The third amendment of the Bill of Rights recognizes the oppressive nature of quartering soldiers in a home without consent of the owners during times of peace, and only through prescribed laws during the time of war. With our current National Guard, Reserves, and military forts and bases it is difficult to imagine a modern day “quartering act.” However, soldiers did commandeer civilian homes during the civil war and such things can happen without cause. We should retain the protection of the third amendment if for no other reason than as a reminder of our desire for liberty.