MADISONCENTER FOR AMERICAN LEADERSHIP
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The constitutional text

Article I · Section 9

Select any highlighted phrase to understand what it means.

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

[No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken.]*

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another: nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Source: National Constitution Center edition. Original wording is preserved; commentary explains historical and superseded provisions.

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202 elements · 219 connections · One constitutional systemOpen the reader
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You don’t have to understand everything at once. One connection is a good beginning.

LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER

Article I, Section 9, Clause 6b

No compulsory detour through another state

Current text
nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

What it means

Vessels traveling to or from one state cannot be required to enter, clear, or pay duties in another. The rule prevents one state from becoming a mandatory administrative or financial gateway for another’s trade.

Historical setting

The Constitution addresses interstate commercial friction both by granting national power and by prohibiting specific forms of discrimination. This provision protects access to trade against an imposed route through a competing state.

What it does

Lawful shipping arrangements must respect the prohibition even when national authorities regulate commerce. The text does not eliminate every safety or customs rule; it forbids the specified interstate burden.

Debate & interpretation

The passage illustrates how procedural requirements can redirect commerce as effectively as an explicit tax. A nominally administrative rule may deserve scrutiny if it forces trade through a favored location.

A common misreading

This is not a promise that ships are exempt from all inspection or customs law; it addresses compelled entry, clearance, or duties in another state.

Think it through

How could paperwork and routing requirements become instruments of economic favoritism?

Follow the connection

Sources & further reading

Original Madison Center commentary. Explanations distinguish the text, historical context, and interpretive disagreements.

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