Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820–1821 facts for kids

The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820–1821 was a big meeting held to talk about changing the rules of Massachusetts. These rules are found in the Constitution of Massachusetts. At this meeting, they decided to add the first nine changes, called amendments. Some other ideas were not approved.

Why Changes Were Needed

Massachusetts was changing a lot in the early 1800s. More people were moving to cities because of the Industrial Revolution. The old rules from 1780 didn't work well anymore.

One big problem was how representatives were chosen for the state's government, called the General Court. Back then, every town got a representative. Bigger towns like Boston got a few more. But as cities grew, this system became unfair. The government also became too big because there were so many towns.

Another issue was that Maine had become its own state in 1820. This meant Massachusetts needed to figure out how to divide up the government seats that Maine used to have. The convention wanted to make the government fairer and smaller.

New Ideas for the Constitution

The Constitutional Convention suggested fourteen new ideas for the people of Massachusetts to vote on.

Article 1: Religious Freedom and Justice

This change made sure that all Christian religions were supported by the state, not just Protestants. It meant that money collected for churches could go to any Christian church someone chose. Before, it mostly went to the Congregational Church.

It also added a rule about justice. No one could be put in jail or go to trial without a Grand Jury first deciding there was enough evidence.

Article 2: Changing the Political Year

This article moved the start of the political year. It changed from the first Wednesday in May to the first Wednesday in January. All elected officials would now start their jobs in January.

It also moved the date for the yearly state election. It changed from the first Monday in April to the second Monday in November.

Article 3: Governor's Veto Power

This rule was about what happens if the Governor rejects a bill. If the General Court (the state legislature) finished its meeting before the Governor could return a rejected bill, that bill would not become a law.

Article 4: City Governments

This change allowed towns with more than 12,000 people to become cities. It also let the legislature create different ways for these cities to be governed. This was different from the traditional town meeting style.

Article 5: Reshaping the Legislature

This article made the Senate smaller, from 40 members to 36.

It also changed how the House of Representatives was set up.

• Towns with over 1,200 people would get one representative.
• They would get an extra representative for every 2,400 more residents.
• Smaller towns (under 1,200 people) could join with another town to elect a representative every year.
• Or, they could stay separate and elect a representative every two years.
• The House size was limited to 275 members.
• The legislature could adjust the number of residents per representative every 10 years as the population grew.

Members of the House would be paid by the state. At least 100 members needed to be present for the House to make decisions. All members of the General Court were protected from arrest while doing their government duties.

This article also reduced the Governor's Council from nine members to seven. The General Court would now elect these council members from the public. Before, they were chosen from within the legislature.

Article 6: Voting Rights

This was a very important change. It removed almost all rules about owning property or paying taxes to vote. The only people who couldn't vote were paupers (very poor people who relied on public charity).

This meant that almost all men over 21 who had lived in Massachusetts for one year could now vote. This was a big step towards universal manhood suffrage.

Article 7: Appointing Officials

This article set rules for the Governor to appoint certain officials. These included notaries public, the Commissary General, and filling empty spots for the Secretary and Treasurer.

Article 8: Militia Voting Rights

This change allowed men serving in the militia who were under 21 to vote for their company Captains and Subalterns. This was the same right that men over 21 had.

Article 9: Judicial Officers and Legal Opinions

This article changed how judicial officers, like justices of the peace, could be removed from their jobs.

It also stopped the Governor and Legislature from asking the Supreme Judicial Court for legal advice.

Article 10: Harvard Board of Overseers

This change opened up positions on the Harvard Board of Overseers to ministers from all Christian religions. Before, these spots were only for ministers from the Congregational Church. At that time, Harvard received public money.

Article 11: Oath of Allegiance

This article changed the oath that all public officials had to take to hold office. It made an exception for Quakers. Quakers do not believe in swearing oaths, so they could affirm instead.

Article 12: Only One Oath Needed

This article made it clear that no other oath or declaration was needed to hold public office. The only one required was the oath mentioned in the eleventh article.

Article 13: Holding Multiple Offices

This rule said that state judges could not hold any other state office. It also said that anyone holding a state office could not hold a federal office, except for being a postmaster.

Article 14: Amending the Constitution

This article changed the process for making future changes to the Constitution.

• First, half of the Senators and two-thirds of the Representatives had to vote yes on an amendment in two meetings in a row.
• Then, the proposed change would be presented to the voters for their approval.

List of Delegates

Some of the people who attended this important convention included:

Boston

• William Gray
• Isaac Parker
• Josiah Quincy
• Charles Jackson
• Peter Chardon Brooks

Dedham

• John Endicott

Saugus

• Jonathan Makepeace