The Federal Government Attempts to Quarter Living Creatures on
Private Property OCTOBER 01, 2000 by ANDREW P. MORRISS, RICHARD
L. STROUP Most Americans seldom think about the Third Amendment.
Relegated by most scholars and courts to footnotes and history
books, the Third Amendment states, “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.” The federal government pays for quartering soldiers, and
military bases are highly sought after political prizes, not the
subject of popular discontent. That wasn’t always the case,
however. All during the colonial period Americans resisted
British military authorities’ attempts to quarter soldiers on
individuals’ property without compensation. That experience led
to the Third Amendment’s inclusion in the Bill of Rights and in
numerous state constitutions as well. The federal government may
no longer involuntarily quarter troops but it is still
attempting to use privat