
The Eleventh Amendment (Amendment XI) is an amendment to the United States Constitution that restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court. Passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795, the amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases between a state and citizens of another state. The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity, protecting government entities and officers from being sued over the performance of their duties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date passed by Congress | March 4, 1794 |
| Date ratified | February 7, 1795 |
| Purpose | To restrict the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court |
| Clause modified | Article III, Section 2 |
| Judicial power | Shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State |
| Legal doctrine established | Sovereign immunity |
| Ruling overturned | Chisholm v. Georgia (1793) |
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What You'll Learn
- The Eleventh Amendment restricts the ability of individuals to sue states of which they are not citizens
- The Amendment was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified on February 7, 1795
- It was the first Constitutional Amendment adopted after the Bill of Rights
- The Amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution
- The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity

The Eleventh Amendment restricts the ability of individuals to sue states of which they are not citizens
The Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution restricts the ability of individuals to sue states of which they are not citizens. Passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795, it was the first Constitutional amendment adopted after the Bill of Rights.
The text of the amendment states:
> The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.
This amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases "between a state and citizens of another state". The Eleventh Amendment was proposed by the 3rd Congress, when it was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 81–9, having been previously passed by the Senate, 23–2, on January 14, 1794.
The Eleventh Amendment was adopted to overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793). In that case, the Court held that federal courts had the authority to hear cases in law and equity brought by private citizens against states and that states did not enjoy sovereign immunity from suits made by citizens of other states in federal court. The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of "sovereign immunity", which protects government entities or officers acting in their official capacity from being sued over the performance of their duties.
Although the Eleventh Amendment established that federal courts do not have the authority to hear cases brought by private parties against a state of which they are not citizens, the Supreme Court has ruled that the amendment applies to all federal suits against states brought by private parties. The Court has also held that Congress can abrogate state sovereign immunity when using its authority under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
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The Amendment was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified on February 7, 1795
The Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified on February 7, 1795. This amendment was the first Constitutional amendment adopted after the Bill of Rights, which comprises Amendments 1-10. The Eleventh Amendment restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court.
The amendment was proposed by the 3rd Congress and approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 81-9, having been previously passed by the Senate 23-2 on January 14, 1794. The Eleventh Amendment was adopted to overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793). In that case, the Court held that states did not have sovereign immunity from suits made by citizens of other states in federal court.
The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of "sovereign immunity", which protects government entities or officers acting in their official capacity from being sued over the performance of their duties. It clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases "between a state and citizens of another state."
At the time, there were fifteen states, and ratification by twelve was required to add the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution. South Carolina ratified the amendment on December 4, 1797, and on January 8, 1798, President John Adams stated in a message to Congress that it had been ratified by the necessary number of states and was now a part of the Constitution.
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It was the first Constitutional Amendment adopted after the Bill of Rights
The Eleventh Amendment (Amendment XI) is an amendment to the United States Constitution, which was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified on February 7, 1795. It was the first Constitutional Amendment to be adopted after the Bill of Rights, which comprises Amendments 1-10.
The Eleventh Amendment restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court. It was adopted to overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), where the Court held that states did not have sovereign immunity from suits made by citizens of other states in federal court. The Amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases "between a state and citizens of another state."
The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of "sovereign immunity," which protects government entities or officers acting in their official capacity from being sued over the performance of their duties. It was proposed by the 3rd Congress and approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 81-9, having previously been passed by the Senate 23-2 on January 14, 1794.
The Amendment states: "The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State." This Amendment ensures that federal courts do not have the authority to hear cases brought by private parties against a state of which they are not citizens.
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The Amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution
The Eleventh Amendment (Amendment XI) was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795. It was the first Constitutional amendment adopted after the Bill of Rights. The Amendment restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court.
The Eleventh Amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases "between a state and citizens of another state." The Amendment was proposed by the 3rd Congress and approved by the House of Representatives, having been previously passed by the Senate on January 14, 1794.
The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of "sovereign immunity," which protects government entities or officers acting in their official capacity from being sued over the performance of their duties. It was adopted in response to the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), where the Court held that states did not enjoy sovereign immunity from suits made by citizens of other states in federal court.
The Amendment states that the "judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State." This established that federal courts do not have the authority to hear cases brought by private parties against a state of which they are not citizens.
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The Eleventh Amendment established the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity
The Eleventh Amendment (Amendment XI) was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795. It was the first Constitutional amendment adopted after the Bill of Rights. The amendment restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court.
The Eleventh Amendment was adopted to overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793). In that case, the Court held that states did not enjoy sovereign immunity from suits made by citizens of other states in federal court. The Eleventh Amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases "between a state and citizens of another state."
The Supreme Court has ruled that the Eleventh Amendment applies to all federal suits against states brought by private parties. The Court has also held that Congress can abrogate state sovereign immunity when using its authority under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The amendment has been interpreted to protect states from lawsuits by foreign entities as well. However, territories like American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands have been determined by federal courts not to enjoy Eleventh Amendment immunity.
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Frequently asked questions
Amendment XI, or the Eleventh Amendment, restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states of which they are not citizens in federal court.
The Eleventh Amendment was adopted to overrule the Supreme Court's decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793). In that case, the Court held that states did not enjoy sovereign immunity from suits made by citizens of other states in federal court.
The Eleventh Amendment was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795.
The key phrase in the Eleventh Amendment is: "The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State."
The Eleventh Amendment clarified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, which gives diversity jurisdiction to the judiciary to hear cases between a state and citizens of another state. It established the legal doctrine of "sovereign immunity", protecting government entities from being sued over the performance of their duties.
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