Article VI
Debts, Supremacy, Oaths
Full Text
Section 1
All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
History and Context
This brief article is a powerhouse of legal authority, designed to cement the new government's power and legitimacy. It accomplishes three critical tasks. First, it assured creditors that the United States would honor the massive debts incurred during the Revolution, establishing the nation's financial credibility. Second, it established the absolute authority of the Constitution and federal laws. Third, it bound all government officials—state and federal—to the Constitution, while simultaneously banning religious tests for office, a radical step for its time.