State Constitutions!

[MicroBalrog]

Questions to all of you legal types/history types on the forum:

Where do I find copies of the constitutions of the original 13 states? To clarify, I do no seek the texts in their current form, post-200 years of amendments, but rather, the form they had during the Revolutionary era and immediately after, when the U.S. Constitution was being framed.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Starting point for New Hampshire....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_Constitution

and this, too:  http://www.nh.gov/constitution/billofrights.html

[MicroBalrog]

I want to write on my assignment that most state constitutions already had bills of rights before the Federal one was adopted, but it is something that I do not want to write before I am sure.

[Firethorn]

I want to write on my assignment that most state constitutions already had bills of rights before the Federal one was adopted, but it is something that I do not want to write before I am sure.

They may of had statements of rights, or limitations on government powers similar to same, but most won't have a 'bill' of rights.  The US constitution bill of rights is effectively amendment 1 to the constitution.

[GigaBuist]

The US constitution bill of rights is effectively amendment 1 to the constitution.

Uhh... that's 1-10.

[MicroBalrog]

I want to write on my assignment that most state constitutions already had bills of rights before the Federal one was adopted, but it is something that I do not want to write before I am sure.

They may of had statements of rights, or limitations on government powers similar to same, but most won't have a 'bill' of rights.  The US constitution bill of rights is effectively amendment 1 to the constitution.

Technically 1-12, two of which never were ratified.

I know that the key inspiring document was the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which George Mason wrote.

[Firethorn]

The US constitution bill of rights is effectively amendment 1 to the constitution.

Uhh... that's 1-10.

True. 

But they were all done at once, so they were 'first'.

[Hawkmoon]

I know that the key inspiring document was the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which George Mason wrote.

Interesting. When I was a young lad, it was taught in 7th (or 8th) grade Social Studies that the U.S. Constitution was modeled on a document called The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.

Of course, I went to junior high in Connecticut. I'm sure our state department of education preferred the version favoring us and wasn't about to 'fess up to a Virginia connection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Orders_of_Connecticut

http://www.constitution.org/bcp/fo_1639.htm