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Constitution of Texas (2022) at Wikisource. The Constitution of the State of Texas is the document that establishes the structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Texas, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of Texas. The current document was adopted on February 15, 1876, and is the seventh constitution in Texas ...
Dec 5, 2017 · The convention ended in failure, and no attempt has been made since to replace the much-amended old warhorse. For the complete text of the 1876 Texas Constitution (unamended), as well as other past Texas Constitutions, see Texas Constitutions 1824-1876, a project of the Tarlton Law Library at The University of Texas School of Law.
- Constitution of 1827
- Constitution of 1833
- Consultation of 1835
- Constitution of 1836
- Constitution of 1845
- Constitution of 1861
- Constitution of 1866
- Constitution of 1869
- Constitution of 1876
In 1827, the combined state of Texas and Coahuila wrote their own constitution. Its government was comprised of a unicameral legislature, executive branch, and judicial branch. The legislature contained 12 deputies, two of which were elected by popular vote. The executive branch had a governor and vice-governor and the judicial branch had courts th...
Wanting separation from Coahuila and their own state government, Texans met in San Felipe for theConventions of 1832 and 1833. Several controversial Mexican policies were discussed as well. The Texans wanted to petition the anti-immigration law of April 1830, prohibit the African slave trade into Texas, pass more tariff exemptions, and have better ...
The Consultation of 1835met to discuss options of actions to take after the quarrels with Mexico. These included the characteristics and virtues of various leaders, the purpose of war, and the power and structure of the government. After a week of meeting, the delegates voted to support the Mexican Constitution of 1824. However, almost simultaneous...
The Convention of 1836 met at Washington on the Brazosand adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence. They also framed the Constitution of 1836, which served throughout the Republic of Texas. The Constitution set up a government much like the US’s with a system of checks and balances amongst three branches. It also allowed for slavery, gave voti...
The United States Congress proposed Resolution Annexing Texas and the Convention of 1845was assembled to consider the proposal. The Constitution of 1845 was approved by both the people of Texas and the Congress of the United States. The bicameral legislature was continued, with Representatives serving two-year terms and Senators serving four-year t...
At the outbreak of the Civil War, the Secession Convention of 1861met in Austin and modified the Constitution of 1845 to reflect Texas’ new alliance with the Confederacy. The new Constitution of 1861 was kept very similar to its predecessor as most laws were consistent with the Confederacy. The terms “the United States of America” were changed to “...
After the war, this was replaced by the Constitution of 1866, which served during much of the Reconstruction Era following the defeat of the Confederacy. This constitution had to include the new laws required to be admitted back into the Union, namely declaring slavery and secession illegal. Legislators were also now required to be white men and th...
In 1869, another constitution was written after the Reconstruction Acts were passed in the US Congress. After the Constitutional Convention of 1869 dissolved over factional differences, military officers drafted the new constitution. Major changes included extending equality of the law to all persons and compulsory school attendance. Senators’ term...
In 1873, Democrats regained control of the Texas government and decided to rewrite the state constitution. Wanting to dramatically downsize the power and influence of the government, the writers drafted a very specific and detailed document. Legislative sessions were reduced and only allowed every other year, divided the governor’s power among seve...
The Texas Constitution describes the structure and functions of the state government of Texas. It is considered the highest law of the state. The original constitution is more than 140 years old, dating to 1876. Over the years, the constitution has been amended more than 500 times.
Sep 23, 2024 · The current constitution took effect on February 15, 1876. This current constitution is the seventh in Texas history. The previous six were the: 1827 Constitution of the State of Coahuila and Tejas; 1836 Constitution of the Republic of Texas; and; different versions of the constitution of Texas for the years 1845, 1861, 1866, and 1869.
Aug 15, 2023 · Text of the constitutions and foundational documents of the State of Texas, with original document scans. HTML and PDF formats. Part of the Tarlton Law Library/Jamail Center for Legal Research's Texas Constitutions 1824-1876 digital collection.
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Dec 1, 2022 · Amendments to the Texas constitution originate as joint resolutions in the Texas Legislature, then go to the voters for approval. As of 2019, the current constitution has been amended 498 times. All of these amendments, as well as those that were on the ballot but did not pass, can be found in the Texas Legislative Reference Library's searchable database of amendments .
