Eleanor Finch
On January 12, 1835, Stevens T. Mason, the 24-year-old Michigan territorial governor, called for a constitutional convention, two years before Michigan was admitted into the union. The convention was held in Detroit, with 91 delegates in attendance. The North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835 was a meeting of delegates elected by eligible voters in counties in the United States state of North Carolina to amend the Constitution of North Carolina written in 1776. The convention approved the changes on July 11, 1835, and these were adopted by a vote of the people on November 9, 1835, with 26,771 in favor and 21,606 against.
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What You'll Learn
North Carolina Constitutional Convention
The North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835 was a gathering of delegates chosen by eligible voters in the counties of the US state of North Carolina. The convention's purpose was to amend the Constitution of North Carolina, which had been written in 1776 by the Fifth North Carolina Provincial Congress. The convention took place in Raleigh, North Carolina, from June 4, 1835, to July 11, 1835.
The delegates at the convention were elected by eligible voters in their respective counties. Each county elected two delegates, and these delegates met to discuss and propose amendments to the state constitution. The convention focused on addressing the changes in population distribution across the state since the original constitution was written in 1776. By 1835, the number of counties had increased from 38 to 68, with 38 Eastern counties and 27 Western counties.
The convention approved several amendments, including changes to the representation in the Senate and House. The membership of the Senate was fixed at 50 senators, and the House at 120 representatives. Each county received at least one representative in the House, with the remaining representatives allocated based on county population. Senators were elected from districts determined by the amount of taxes paid to the state by each county.
Another significant change was the election of the governor by popular vote rather than by the members of the General Assembly. This marked the beginning of modern political campaigning, as gubernatorial candidates sought statewide support for the first time. Additionally, the convention provided for the impeachment of state officers, the removal of judges for disability, and the establishment of biannual legislative sessions.
The amendments proposed by the convention were put to a vote on November 9, 1835, and were approved by the voters of North Carolina. These changes remained in effect until the Constitution was next amended in 1868.
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Michigan constitutional convention
The Michigan Constitutional Convention of 1835 was a significant event in the state's history, as it led to the creation of Michigan's first constitution. The convention was called by the Michigan Territorial Council, the governing body of the Michigan Territory, in anticipation of Michigan's statehood. The convention began in Detroit on the second Monday of May 1835 and lasted until June 24. Ninety-one elected delegates, mostly Jacksonian Democrats, participated in drafting the constitution.
The 1835 Constitution emphasised individual liberties and provided Michigan citizens with greater protection than the federal Bill of Rights. It included a "Bill of Rights", with detailed provisions regarding freedom of speech, religion, conscience, and the press, prohibiting unlawful search and seizure, and providing jury trials. The constitution also favoured electing officials to office, with positions such as Secretary of State, attorney general, auditor general, and lower court judges being elected rather than appointed.
One of the key motivations for the convention was Michigan's pursuit of statehood. In 1834, Governor Steven T. Mason requested a census to demonstrate that Michigan had the requisite population for statehood. With statehood in sight, Michigan needed its own constitution, and the delegates at the convention worked to draft one that reflected the state's political landscape.
The proposed constitution was adopted by the voters of Michigan on October 5, 1835, by a significant margin of 6,299 votes for and 1,359 votes against. This constitution played a crucial role in Michigan's journey to becoming a state of the Union, which it achieved in January 1837. The 1835 Constitution underwent revisions and amendments over the years, with subsequent constitutions ratified in 1850, 1908, and the current constitution approved by voters in 1963.
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Jacksonian democracy
On January 12, 1835, Stevens T. Mason, the Michigan territorial governor, called for a constitutional convention. Two years later, in 1837, President Andrew Jackson left office after his second term. Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political ideology in the United States that restructured several federal institutions. It was named after the seventh US president, Andrew Jackson, and his supporters. It was the dominant political worldview for a generation, lasting roughly from Jackson's election in 1828 until the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, which, along with the political repercussions of the American Civil War, reshaped American politics.
The era was characterised by a democratic spirit, building on Jackson's equal political policy, which aimed to end the monopoly of government by elites. Jacksonian democracy promoted the strength of the presidency and the executive branch, while also seeking to increase the public's participation in government. Jackson's supporters formed the modern Democratic Party. Jackson believed that farmers and working Americans had been ignored by corrupt politicians who held elitist ideas about governing. Jacksonian democracy emerged from Jackson's own experiences as a farmer, military leader, and politician.
Key principles of Jacksonian democracy included the expansion of voting rights to all white males, a reluctance to over-regulate the economy, and the promotion of a limited federal government. Jackson's expansion of democracy was limited to white men, and his administration faced criticism for its Indian Removal policies, which forcibly displaced Native American tribes from their ancestral lands. Jacksonian democracy also provided for the election of the governor by popular vote rather than election by the members of the General Assembly.
Despite Jackson's popularity with the average American, his actions angered many in Congress, leading to the formation of the Whig Party in 1834. The era of Jacksonian democracy began to wane around 1850 as emerging issues such as slavery and state secession began to dominate politics. Jacksonian democracy is essential for understanding the evolution of American political culture and the ongoing debates surrounding representation and power.
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Black disenfranchisement
The North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835 was a meeting of delegates elected by eligible voters in counties in the United States state of North Carolina to amend the Constitution of North Carolina, which was written in 1776. The convention was convened in Raleigh, North Carolina, from June 4, 1835, to July 11, 1835, and approved several amendments to the constitution that were voted on and approved by the voters of North Carolina on November 9, 1835.
The 1835 convention resulted from North Carolina's acceptance of Jacksonian democracy, a political movement that emphasised the participation of the common man in the political process. The movement gained momentum after Andrew Jackson was elected president in 1828. There had been years of protest against the Constitution of 1776 due to its disproportionate representation of eastern counties, extensive property requirements for voting and office holding, and its omission of an amendment and impeachment process.
The convention's proposed changes were adopted by a vote of 26,771 in favour and 21,606 against on November 9, 1835. These changes included black disenfranchisement, which followed a national trend. The free black vote was eliminated, and although this was a regressive act, the number of North Carolina voters increased. The changes also improved the representation of the more populous counties in the Piedmont and western regions of the state. For the first time, the governor was elected by popular vote rather than by the members of the General Assembly.
The convention also provided amendments that eliminated private acts that granted divorces, changed names, and legitimised persons; provided procedures to impeach state officers; procedures to remove judges for disability; established biannual legislative sessions; and provided provisions for amending the constitution. The changes remained in effect until 1868 when the Constitution was next changed.
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Stevens T. Mason
On January 12, 1835, the 24-year-old Mason called for a constitutional convention in Detroit, with 91 delegates in attendance. This convention was held in anticipation of Michigan's statehood, with the territory's voters approving the constitution on October 5, 1835, by a significant margin. The constitution included several notable provisions, such as making certain offices elected rather than appointed, establishing an agricultural school, and addressing local government, finance, taxation, and corporations. Additionally, it outlined the basic rules and procedures for elections in Michigan, including voting requirements and the roles of different branches of government.
Mason played a pivotal role in guiding Michigan towards statehood, which was achieved in 1837. He was elected as Michigan's first state governor in 1835, taking office at the young age of 24. To meet the requirements for statehood, Mason navigated challenges such as the Toledo War with Ohio over a disputed strip of land. Despite opposition, he agreed to a compromise, ceding the land to Ohio in exchange for the western portion of the Upper Peninsula.
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Frequently asked questions
The results of the North Carolina Constitutional Convention of 1835 were approved by the voters of North Carolina on November 9, 1835.
The 1835 Constitution proposed several amendments, including:
- Fixing the membership of the Senate at 50 senators and the House at 120 representatives.
- The election of the governor by popular vote instead of election by the members of the General Assembly.
- The elimination of private acts that granted divorces, changed names, and legitimized persons.
- The establishment of biennial legislative sessions.
- The extension of the religious qualification for holding state office to include not only Protestants but also all other Christians.
The 1835 Constitutional Convention in North Carolina was called to address issues with the Constitution of 1776, including disproportionate representation of eastern counties, extensive property requirements for voting and office holding, and the absence of an amendment and impeachment process. The convention aimed to increase the participation of the common man in the political process, in line with the principles of Jacksonian democracy.
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