Thread by @IJSanders

1. Remember the Maine! The constitution, that is. A breakaway from Massachusetts 3 times its former master’s size, the place has had exactly one constitution, the fourth oldest among the several states. Today on #50Weeks50Constitutions we go to where so goes the nation.

2. Mainers had long been grumpy about Massachusetts, which went back to an unlawful seizure (later blessed by King William & Queen Mary) of the Province of Maine by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the years after 1652.

3. Calls for Maine statehood came sporadically after the War of Independence. There were a few referendums over the years, but voters kept rejecting breaking away. However, after much controversy, & resistance in Mass, Mainers voted for statehood by a 2-1 margin in July 1819.

4. Mainers then elected 274 delegates to write a constitution so Congress would admit it as a state. The ringleader of this endeavor was William King, who soon after served as the 1st governor. He appointed a committee of 33 who wrote the 1st draft.

5. King had meant to not simply copy the Mass Constitution, but make something new. Now, the result was a *bit* of a copy, but had plenty borrowed from other constitutions, & a few innovations. After spirited debates, the delegates adopted a final version on Oct 29, 1819.

6. King corresponded w/ both Jefferson & Madison about what to put in it, both of whom were still around & kicking constitutional tires. Jefferson didn’t like the legislative apportionment, but did like the education bits. (He may have even written them)

newscentermaine.com/article/news/h…

7. The constitution created a governor, but also adopted Massachusetts’ use of an “Executive Council” of 7 members, chosen by the legislature, who oversaw much gubernatorial decision-making. It had to sign-off on all appointments, dismissals, & pardons.

8. The biggest sticking point was legislative apportionment, with a huge disagreement between those who wanted representation by population & the Massachusetts system of representation by town. In the end a hybrid system emerged. It lasted until the 1960s.

9. The Maine Constitution also adopted the 2d (by only three months) “Baby Ninth Amendment” in US history. Alabama had just adopted one earlier in the year. For unknown reasons it is one of the only ones that does not use the word “construe.”

10. Fun fact: The convention almost changed the state’s name from Maine to Columbus. One delegate also exhorted that whatever it is “I hope, Sir, we shall always have a name, and a *respectable* name.” (emphasis in original) (WTF) In the end the familiar name of Maine prevailed.

11. The draft constitution went to the voters who ratified it overwhelmingly on Nov 6, 1819. Then Mainers had to wait for the Missouri Compromise. As part of that process Congress finally granted Maine’s entry & w/ President Monroe’s signature statehood came on March 15, 1820.

12. Since 1820 there have been over 170 amendments to the Maine Constitution, but it generally has been small changes. Like most of the rest of New England, slow yet steady constitutional change has generally been the norm.

13. One of the biggest changes was the introduction of initiative and referendum in 1907. Others were a series of reforms in the 1950s & ‘60s that almost resulted in a full-blown convention but instead modernized the constitution in a few ways, including with apportionment.

14. Sources:

Marshall J. Tinkle, The Maine State Constitution
The Debates & Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Maine, 1819-20
Ronald Banks, The Maine Constitutional Convention of 1819