1. Louisiana, the first state carved out of the Louisiana purchase, is this week’s subject of #50Weeks50Constitutions. Louisiana has had at least 9, maybe 11, separate constitutions; so, buckle up for a long ride down the bayou.
2. The Louisianans who drafted the 1st constitution of 1812 did so against a backdrop of 2 legal traditions (Civil & Common law) & 3 linguistic traditions (Spanish, French, and English). In fact, the original constitution was drafted in French & then translated into English.
3. The constitution limited suffrage to white men over the age of 21 who owned property, barring 2/3 of otherwise eligible voters. The governor was elected through a hybrid system where the legislature would choose between the top 2 popular vote getters.
4. There was no separate Bill or Declaration of Rights, though some typical protections were incorporated within the body. The constitution also set up a Supreme Court & allowed the legislature to create inferior courts. It was never amended & lasted until 1845.
5. The convention which drafted the constitution of 1845 was animated by a desire for the “common man” to have more of a voice. This was quite similar to other conventions of the time. Property qualifications for voting were also rejected in this constitution.
6. Many “traditional” Bill of Rights provisions were added to the 1845 constitution, but not as a separate article. The amendment procedure was simplified: now 3/5 of the legislature had to approve the amendment & then it would be put to the people for an up or down vote.
7. But, this constitution lasted only until 1852. The 1852 constitution provided for the election of most offices, including judges, and established a new title which focused on “internal improvement” in the state & set out the procedures for granting economic aid.
8. Under the 1852 constitution the Chief Justice was elected at large while the associate justices were elected from special districts. Clergy were no longer prohibited from holding office, but any office holder who engaged in a duel would be removed from office.
9. When Louisiana seceded from the Union in 1861, it again adopted a new constitution. This one made no changes to the structure of the government. The biggest difference was (obvs) that the constitution declared allegiance to the Confederate States of America.
10. After the Union regained control of Louisiana, Union General Nathaniel Banks called for a convention—though there were questions as to whether Banks actually had this power. In the end it was moot as Congress rejected the resulting constitution. 
11. The Constitution of 1868, however, was approved by Congress as part of its Reconstruction program. This convention finally added a separate Bill of Rights, guaranteed equal civil rights, banned discrimination in public education & provided for full male suffrage.
12. This constitution also officially abolished slavery and made state citizenship open to all. Further, discrimination based on race in public places, including on public transportation, was prohibited. It was arguably the most “radical” Reconstruction constitution.
13. But the constitution was replaced in 1879, when the Democrats regained power. It provided for segregated schools, and the equal rights provision of the previous constitution was removed. The end of Reconstruction allowed similar regression across the South.
14. A new constitution was adopted in 1898. No structural changes to the government were made, but segregation in public was made mandatory and many provisions were adopted with the purpose of limiting access to the ballot boxes for African Americans.
15. The next constitution was adopted in 1913. The call was quite limited, and the voters empowered the convention to approve the constitution without a popular vote. The convention adopted provisions beyond the call, but the state Supreme Court later struck those down.
16. A new constitution was adopted in 1921. Again, no structural changes were adopted, but it went into the minutia. The Judiciary Title alone was more than 35 pages long. The constitution was amended more than 500 times over the next half century until it was replaced in 1974.
17. The convention which drafted the 1974 constitution focused on technical changes & making the constitution more accessible. In that vein it trimmed the constitution from 250,000 words (!) to 30,000 words. This constitution also readopted an equal protection clause.
18. Louisiana has adopted 11 separate constitutions, including a confederate one and one rejected by Congress. We enjoyed exploring the constitutional history of the #PelicanState on this week’s edition of #50Weeks50Constitutions! Check out the links below to learn even more!
