Minnesota's Constitutions

The United States Congress passed an enabling act on February 26, 1857, that permitted the voters of Minnesota Territory to decide if they wanted to become a state. Among other provisions, this act called for a constitutional convention to draft a constitution to serve as the foundation of state government. At an election on June 1, 1857, Minnesota voters elected delegates to this constitutional convention. Between July 13 and August 29, this convention met in St. Paul to fulfill its obligations.

Intense rivalry between the convention's Democratic and Republican factions prevented the entire body of delegates from convening in one place and drafting a single constitution. Eventually, a conference committee of five members from each faction met to propose language that was designed to be acceptable to both bodies. On August 28, 1857, after bitter debate, both factions approved the conference committee's proposed language. However, members of each faction refused to sign any document containing the signatures of the other faction's members. On August 29, 1857, 53 Republican members signed a 39-page document, and 51 Democratic members signed a 37-page document.

Although the two documents were intended to be identical and to convey the same meaning, the copyists, who worked feverishly through the night of August 28, 1857, to prepare them for signature, introduced numerous differences. A detailed comparison of the two versions shows over 300 differences in punctuation, grammar, and wording. No substantive differences in meaning or interpretation are present.

Governor Alexander Ramsey's proclamation dated December 28, 1860, ratifying the first three amendments to the state constitution, appears in the Republican version of the constitution.

Header image: View of St. Paul with territorial capitol building in background, 1857