The Maryland Constitution of 1776 was the first of four constitutions under which the U.S. state of Maryland has been governed. It was that state's basic law from its adoption in 1776 until the adoption of the Maryland Constitution of 1851 .

The document was drafted at the Maryland Constitutional Convention of 1776, which met at the state capital, Annapolis between August 14 and November 11, 1776. It was not submitted to the people for ratification. The 1776 constitution was amended several times, most notably in 1837, to, among other things, provide for a popularly elected governor, instead of one chosen by the legislature.

The 1776 constitution was initially about 8,800 words long. The several amendments added to it between 1792 and 1846 brought its total length to about 15,200 words.

See also

• List of delegates to the Maryland Constitutional Convention (1776)
• Maryland Constitution of 1867
• Maryland Constitution of 1864
• Maryland Constitution of 1851
• United States state constitution

External links

• Text of the Constitution
• Amendments to the Maryland Constitution of 1776