New York’s Constitution: 1777 – Present

New York’s Constitution: 1777 – Present is more than just a formatted copy of the New York constitution currently in use. It is a curated collection of all of New York’s constitutions and subsequent amendments and revisions, formatted for ease of use by attorneys, political scientists, historians, students, and other researchers.

The collection starts with an introduction of the historical progressions of New York’s governance from the Dutch colonial period through statehood. It then moves to the full text and subsequent amendments for the first constitution adopted in 1777. The subsequent four revisions, leading to the current constitution adopted in 1938, trace how the state evolved from a small colony to the fourth largest state in the United States. As the state grew and our country changed, the constitution evolved to the document it is today. The role of the Governor, the makeup of the courts, the power of municipalities, and the rights of individuals were modified with each revision.

This curated collection presents the first four constitutions in their original format, with the full text of the amendments included in the notes. The 1938 constitution, the one currently in use, is presented as amended, effective January 1, 2022.

Significant thought was given to the formatting of this book to provide ease of use. Articles begin on a new page. When possible, sections are limited to one page, to avoid the need to flip between pages in referencing the material. Indentations were added to the current constitution to allow the reader to clearly distinguish subsections. Page headings allow the reader to quickly find their needed constitution, article, and section. Notes are titled and dated. This book is edited and formatted with the researcher in mind.

The collection includes:

The New York Constitution of 1777
The Bill of Rights (1787)
The New York Constitution of 1821
The New York Constitution of 1843
The New York Constitution of 1894
The New York Constitution of 1938, as amended.