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U.S. Const. amend. XI
Prior to the Eleventh Amendment, the United States Supreme Court took a more expansive interpretation of federal jurisdiction. In other words, it was easier to file a federal lawsuit against a state you did not live in. In Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), the Court held that because a South Carolina citizen, Alexander Chisholm, was attempting to sue another state, Georgia, over unpaid debts federal court was the appropriate place to file a lawsuit. United States Senator Caleb Strong proposed the Eleventh Amendment in 1794, concerned about more citizens filing lawsuits against states in federal courts. It was ratified by 12 states less than a year later.
Think about this amendment in that context: why would it be important for the U.S. Constitution to specify who can file a lawsuit against another state; and why would the government want to limit what cases can be settled in federal court?
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