Which state has the oldest state constitution still in effect today?

Massachusetts
The oldest state constitution still in effect is that of Massachusetts, which took effect in 1780. The newest is the Rhode Island Constitution, which was ratified by voters in 1986 after a constitutional convention was held which proposed deleting superseded language and reorganizing the state’s 1843 Constitution.

What state has the oldest constitution?

The 1780 Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, drafted by John Adams, is the world’s oldest functioning written constitution. It served as a model for the United States Constitution, which was written in 1787 and became effective in 1789.

Why did Rhode Island not ratify the Constitution at first?

Rhode Island was the only state not to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. There were several reasons for Rhode Island’s resistance including its concern that the Constitution gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states.

Was Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the US Constitution?

New Hampshire became the ninth state to accept the Constitution on June 21, 1788, which officially ended government under the Articles of Confederation. It was not until May 29, 1790, that the last state, Rhode Island, finally ratified the Constitution.

How did Rhode Island contribute to the Constitution?

Rhode Island’s role in the drafting and ratification of the US Constitution was unlike other states. Rhode Island was the only state not to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

Which is the only state not to ratify the Constitution?

Rhode Island was the only state not to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Then, when asked to convene a state convention to ratify the Constitution, Rhode Island instead sent the ratification question to individual towns asking them to vote.

Why was Rhode Island a no show at the Constitutional Convention?

The resulting rampant inflation made Rhode Island—for many Americans—a dark symbol of what ailed the Confederation. Opponents of state-issued paper currency called for a new Constitution that would ban it. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, no state was more reviled than Rhode Island—the only no-show.

Why was paper money illegal in Rhode Island?

The Constitution would also have made the state’s practice of printing paper money illegal. The issue best remembered today, however, is that in its original form, the Constitution did not explicitly protect religious freedom, a core Rhode Island principle introduced by Roger Williams and protected in its Royal Charter.