Maryland Constitution of 1864 facts for kids

The Maryland Constitution of 1864 was an important set of rules for the U.S. state of Maryland. It was the third constitution Maryland had. This constitution was created during the American Civil War. It was only used for a short time, from 1864 until 1867. Maryland adopted its current constitution in 1867.

Creating the 1864 Constitution

The 1864 constitution was mostly written by strong supporters of the Union. These Union supporters were in control of Maryland at that time.

This new document made several big changes:

• It officially ended slavery in Maryland.
• It took away voting rights from people who supported the Southern states (the Confederacy).
• It changed how representatives were chosen for the Maryland General Assembly. This was based on the number of white residents.

This change meant that smaller counties, where many formerly enslaved people lived, had less power. One main goal was to reduce the influence of people who had supported the Confederacy. These supporters had almost caused Maryland to leave the Union in 1861.

Voting to Approve the Constitution

A special meeting to write the constitution started on April 27, 1864. The work was finished by September 6. Then, the people of Maryland voted on the constitution on October 13, 1864.

The vote was very close: 30,174 people voted yes, and 29,799 voted no. This meant it passed by a very small margin. This result was controversial because Maryland, even though it was part of the Union, still had many people who supported the Confederacy.

Most people who voted at their usual polling places actually voted against the constitution. However, soldiers from Maryland who were fighting for the Union Army voted overwhelmingly in favor. Their votes helped the constitution get approved.

Key Features of the 1864 Constitution

The 1864 constitution was designed to take away rights from Marylanders who had helped the Confederacy. This included those who fought for or lived in the South. It also made it hard for them to get their full rights back. People who held public office had to take a new promise. This promise meant they would support Maryland and the Union, and reject the rebellion.

The constitution also reduced the power of smaller counties. These counties often had many enslaved people and tended to support leaving the Union. Their power was lessened by basing representation only on the number of white residents.

Even though the constitution freed enslaved people, it did not mean everyone was equal. Only white men were allowed to vote. Also, Maryland's government refused to approve two important changes to the U.S. Constitution. These were the 14th Amendment, which gave citizenship rights to former slaves, and the 15th Amendment, which gave voting rights to African Americans.

The 1864 constitution also created a new job for the first time: the Lieutenant Governor. Only one person, Christopher C. Cox, held this job under the 1864 constitution. The position was brought back later in 1971.