quartering of soldiers

     The United States Constitution, Amendment III, guarantees us that "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". This guarantee seems old-fashioned to us now, but it has the same meaning that it did 200 years ago, when it was written to protect American citizens from a repetition of abuses they had suffered under British rule--when soldiers were quartered in the homes of the people, whether they liked it or not. People had to let the soldiers stay in one of their rooms, even if they didn't really have space for them. Quartering meant they had to feed them, too. In Boston, the soldiers were quartered in the homes of the people whose city they were sent to besiege. The Bostonians resented this, and helped to make sure that the American army would not treat American  citizens as the British had done.  We will never answer the door to find soldiers on the other side, demanding lodging, unless we have been informed first by our government that this is necessary because of a war.