Fourth Amendment

The FourthAmendment to the UnitedStatesConstitution, which contains protections against unreasonable search and seizure:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

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This amendment was (at least partly) a response to a tendency of British troops prior to the American Revolution to search the homes of ordinary citizens and seize property for any reason. The troops operated under the assumption that, because the troops were British and the colonists were just colonists, the troops could do whatever they wanted to. The prevalance of this mindset and practice is debatable, but it happened and was not rare.

In fact, the start of the American Revolution pre-empted such a raid. The British Regulars that fought at Lexington and Concord had been on their way to search farms near Concord.