The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. The Fourth Amendment prohibits the United States government from conducting "unreasonable searches and seizures.The 4th Amendment of the US Constitution protects citizens from searches without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment protects us from unreasonable search and seizures of our person, our house, our papers, and our effects. In this session, students will examine the historical context and the drafting of the Fourth Amendment. Amendment Four to the Constitution was ratified on December 15, 1791. It protects the American people from unreasonable searches and seizures. This means that law enforcement agents need probable cause, and a warrant in most cases, to search your person or belongings. But in the face of Prohibition, courts began to narrowly read the Fourth Amendment to give federal agents broader authority to search for illegal alcohol. An annotation about the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.