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| Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
  The title page and first articles, the Declaration of Rights, in the first published edition of the 1780 Constitution | |
| Overview | |
| Jurisdiction | Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
| Subordinate to | Constitution of the United States |
| Created | October 30, 1779 |
| Presented | June 15, 1780 |
| Ratified | October 25, 1780 |
| System | Single executive |
| Government structure | |
| Branches | 3 |
| Chambers | Two (Massachusetts General Court): Massachusetts Senate Massachusetts House of Representatives |
| Executive | Governor of Massachusetts |
| Judiciary | Supreme, Appeals, Trial |
| History | |
| First legislature | October 25, 1780 |
| First executive | October 25, 1780 |
| First court | October 25, 1780 |
| Amendments | 121 |
| Last amended | November 8, 2022 |
| Commissioned by | Massachusetts Provincial Congress |
| Author(s) | John Adams |
| Supersedes | Massachusetts Charter |
| Full text | |
 Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1780) at Wikisource | |
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the 50 individual states that make up the United States of America. It consists of a preamble, declaration of rights, description of the principles and framework of government, and articles of amendment.
Created by the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779, the document was primarily authored by American founding father and future president John Adams. Following its approval by convention delegates, it was approved by voters on June 15, 1780 and became effective October 25 of that year.
The Massachusetts Constitution was the last to be written among the initial thirteen U.S. states. It was unique in being structured with chapters, sections and articles, as opposed to being a list of provisions. It served as a model for the U.S. Constitution, drafted seven years later, both structurally and substantively, and also influenced later revisions of many other state constitutions.
The Massachusetts Constitution is among the oldest functioning written constitutions in continuous effect in the world,[1][2] predated only by the 1777 Constitution of Vermont and by sections of the Constitution of San Marino and the Magna Carta.[3] It was also the first constitution in history to be created by a convention called for that purpose, rather than by a legislative body.[1]
It has been amended 121 times as of 2022.[4]
- ^ a b Levy, Leonard (1995). Seasoned Judgments: The American Constitution, Rights, and History. p. 307. ISBN 9781412833820.
- ^ Murrin, John (2011). Liberty, Power, and Equality: A History. ISBN 978-0495915874.
- ^ Slomp, Hans (2011). Europe, A Political Profile: An American Companion to European Politics. ABC-CLIO. p. 693. ISBN 978-0-313-39181-1. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ "Massachusetts Constitution". Massachusetts General Court. Retrieved 6 January 2023.