Significant dates, starting with the Convention and proceeding until the date of ratification of Article of Amendment No. XXXVI

The constitution of Massachusetts was agreed upon by delegates of the people, in convention, begun and held at Cambridge, on the first day of September, 1779, and continued by adjournments to the second day of March, 1780, when the convention adjourned to meet on the first Wednesday of the ensuing June. In the mean time the constitution was submitted to the people, to be adopted by them, provided two-thirds of the votes given should be in the affirmative. When the convention assembled. it was found that the constitution had been adopted by the requisite number of votes. and the convention accordingly Resolved, "That the said Constitution or Frame of Government shall take place on the last Wednesday of October next; and not before, for any purpose, save only for that of making elections, agreeable to this resolution." The first legislature assembled at Boston, on the twenty-fifth day of October, 1780.

The first nine Articles of Amendment were submitted, by delegates in convention assembled, November 15, 1820, to the people, and by them ratified and adopted April 9, 1821.


The tenth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1829-30 and 1830-31, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people May 11, 1831.

The eleventh Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1832 and 1833, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people November 11, l833.

The twelfth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1835 and 1836, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people the fourteenth day of November, 1836.

The thirteenth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1839 and 1840, respectively, and was approved and ratified by the people the sixth day of April, 1840.

The fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1854 and 1855, respectively, and ratified by the people the twenty-third day of May, 1S55.

The twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1856 and 1857, respectively, and ratified by the people on the first day of May, 1857.

The twenty-third Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1858 and 1859, respectively, and ratified by the people on the ninth day of May, 1859, and was repealed by the twenty-sixth Amendment.

The twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1859 and 1860, and ratified by the people on the seventh day of May, 1860.

The twenty-sixth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1862 and 1863, and ratified by the people on the sixth day of April, 1863.

The twenty-seventh Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1876 and 1877, and was approved and ratified by the people on the sixth day of November, 1877.

The twenty-eighth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1880 and 1881, and was approved and ratified by the people on the eighth day of November, 1881.

The twenty-ninth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1884 and 1885, and was approved and ratified by the people on the third day of November, 1885.

The thirtieth and thirty-first Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1889 and 1890, and were approved and ratified by the people on the fourth day of November, 1890.

The thirty-second and thirty-third Articles were adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1890 and 1891, and were approved and ratified by the people on the third day of November, 1891.

The thirty-fourth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1891 and 1892, and was approved and ratified by the people on the eighth day of November, 1892.

The thirty-fifth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1892 and 1893, and was approved and ratified by the people on the seventh day of November, 1892.

The thirty-sixth Article was adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1893 and 1894, and was approved and ratified by the people on the sixth day of November, 1894.

[A proposed Article of Amendment, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of Intoxicating Liquor as a beverage, adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1888 and 1889, was rejected by the people on the twenty-second day of April, 1889.]

[Proposed Articles of Amendment, (l) Establishing biennial elections of state officers, and (2) Establishing biennial elections of members of the General Court, adopted by the legislatures of the political years 1895 and 1896, were rejected by the people at the annual election held on the third day of November, 1896.]