The constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States of America , adopted in 1780, is often called the oldest still-governing written constitution in the world. The Massachusetts Constitution was the model for the Constitution of the United States of America, drafted seven years later.
The Massachusetts Constitution consists of four parts: a preamble; a declaration of rights; a description of the framework of government; and articles of amendment.
Beginning with:
Consisting of thirty articles, the first of which states:
Which begins:
As of 2003, there are 120 Articles of Amendment. Unlike the Federal Constitution, the Massachusetts Constitution directs the Supreme Judicial Court to give effect to amendments by editing the official text of the document, removing language that is no longer in force.Preamble
Part the First: A Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
This article was later amended to substitute the word "people" for the word "men".Part the Second: The Frame of Government
Articles of Amendment