Amendment XI
Ratified: February 7, 1795
Summary
Restricts the ability of individuals to sue states in federal court.
Full Text
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.
History and Context
The Eleventh Amendment was the first to be passed after the Bill of Rights, and it was a direct and swift reaction to a Supreme Court decision that terrified the states. In *Chisholm v. Georgia* (1793), the Court ruled that a citizen from another state could sue a state in federal court. The states, particularly Georgia, were outraged. They feared a flood of lawsuits from citizens, especially to collect on Revolutionary War debts. They saw this as a violation of their 'sovereign immunity.' This amendment was passed with incredible speed to overturn that decision and protect the states from being dragged into federal court by out-of-state individuals, reasserting the power and dignity of the state governments.