
Missouri has had four constitutions over its two centuries of statehood. The first constitution was drafted in 1820 in 38 days and was in effect from 1821 to 1865. The territory of Missouri first applied for statehood in 1817 and was considered for the opportunity to become the 23rd state in the Union two years later. The first Missouri Constitutional Convention assembled in St. Louis on June 12, 1820, and was made up of 40 men from 15 Missouri counties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | 1820 |
| Date adopted | 19 July 1820 |
| Number of days to write | 38 |
| Number of words | Not found |
| Number of men in the first convention | 40 |
| Number of counties represented | 15 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first Missouri Constitution was written in 1820
- It was written by a convention of 40 men from 15 Missouri counties
- The convention was overseen by William Pettus, who later became Missouri's secretary of state
- The first constitution included 13 articles, establishing the boundaries of the state, the system of government, the Missouri militia, the education system, and the amendment process
- Missouri has had four constitutions over its two centuries of statehood

The first Missouri Constitution was written in 1820
The first constitution was approved on July 19, 1820, and was in effect from 1821 to 1865. It was one of the results of the Missouri Compromise, and the state was initially admitted to the Union as a slave state. The constitution specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state.
The first Missouri Constitution was replaced by a second constitution in 1865, which was then replaced by a third constitution in 1875. The fourth and current Missouri Constitution was adopted in 1945 and is still in place today.
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It was written by a convention of 40 men from 15 Missouri counties
The first Missouri Constitution was written by a convention of 40 men from 15 Missouri counties. The convention assembled in St. Louis on June 12, 1820, and the document was approved 38 days later on July 19. The assembly elected David Barton, one of eight delegates representing St. Louis County, as president of the convention. William Pettus of St. Charles County, who would go on to serve as Missouri's secretary of state from 1821 to 1824, oversaw the proceedings as the convention's secretary.
The first constitution began with a preamble mirroring that of the country's, written 33 years before: "We, the people of Missouri, inhabiting the limits hereinafter designated". The constitution was one of the results of the Missouri Compromise, and Missouri was initially admitted to the Union as a slave state. The constitution specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state.
Missouri has had four constitutions over its two centuries of statehood, reflecting the changes that the nation as a whole has gone through over time. The territory of Missouri first applied for statehood in 1817 and was considered for the opportunity to become the 23rd state in the Union two years later. Congress considered a bill that would have allowed the territory to frame a state constitution, and a representative from New York added an amendment to disallow the introduction of slavery in Missouri beyond what was already present and emancipate those slaves already in the territory at age 25. However, the amendment failed in the Senate after extensive debate across the aisle over the issue of slavery, and Congress adjourned without resolving the question of Missouri's statehood.
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The convention was overseen by William Pettus, who later became Missouri's secretary of state
The first Missouri Constitution was drafted in 1820 in 38 days. The convention was overseen by William Pettus, who later became Missouri's secretary of state from 1821 to 1824. The first convention was made up of 40 men from 15 Missouri counties. The assembly elected David Barton, one of eight delegates representing St. Louis County, as president of the convention on the first day, according to the convention's official record.
The territory of Missouri first applied for statehood in 1817 and was considered for the opportunity to become the 23rd state in the Union two years later. Congress considered a bill that would have allowed the territory to frame a state constitution, and a representative from New York added an amendment to disallow the introduction of slavery in Missouri beyond what was already present and emancipate those slaves already in the territory at age 25. However, the amendment failed in the Senate after extensive debate across the aisle over the issue of slavery, and Congress adjourned without resolving the question of Missouri's statehood.
The first Missouri Constitution was written by the Constitutional Convention and was adopted on July 19, 1820. It was one of the results of the Missouri Compromise, and Missouri was initially admitted to the Union as a slave state. The constitution specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state. The first constitution began with a preamble mirroring that of the country's, written 33 years before: "We, the people of Missouri, inhabiting the limits hereinafter designated".
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The first constitution included 13 articles, establishing the boundaries of the state, the system of government, the Missouri militia, the education system, and the amendment process
The first Missouri Constitution was drafted in 1820 in 38 days. It was in effect from 1821 to 1865. The first constitution included 13 articles, establishing the boundaries of the future state, the system of government, the Missouri militia, the education system, and the amendment process.
The first Missouri Constitutional Convention assembled in St. Louis on June 12, 1820. The assembly elected David Barton, one of eight delegates representing St. Louis County, as president of the convention. The first constitution began with a preamble mirroring that of the country's, written 33 years before: "We, the people of Missouri, inhabiting the limits hereinafter designated, by our representatives in convention assembled, at St. Louis, on Monday the 12th day of June, 1820, do mutually agree to form and establish a free and independent republic, by the name of 'the State of Missouri; and for the government thereof, do ordain and establish this constitution."
The first constitution established the foundation of Missouri's government. It also specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state. The territory of Missouri first applied for statehood in 1817 and was considered for the opportunity to become the 23rd state in the Union two years later. Congress considered a bill that would have allowed the territory to frame a state constitution, and a representative from New York added an amendment to disallow the introduction of slavery in Missouri beyond what was already present and emancipate those slaves already in the territory at age 25. The amendment failed in the Senate after extensive debate across the aisle over the issue of slavery, and Congress adjourned without resolving the question of Missouri's statehood.
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Missouri has had four constitutions over its two centuries of statehood
The first constitution began with a preamble mirroring that of the country's: "We, the people of Missouri, inhabiting the limits hereinafter designated". One of the results of the Missouri Compromise, Missouri was initially admitted to the Union as a slave state, and the constitution specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state.
The second constitution became effective in 1865, and the third was drafted 10 years later in 1875. The fourth and current Missouri Constitution was adopted in 1945 and is still in place today. Since 1962, Missourians have been asked every 20 years if they would like to convene a constitutional convention to revise the constitution; each time, a majority of the state's voters have rejected the proposal.
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Frequently asked questions
I'm sorry, I can't find the word count for the first Missouri Constitution. However, I can tell you that it was drafted in 38 days, and was in effect from 1821 to 1865.
The first Missouri Constitution was written in 1820.
The first Missouri Constitution was in effect from 1821 to 1865.
The first Missouri Constitution established the foundation of Missouri's government. It specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state.





















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