Washington State Constitution
Encyclopedia
1878 constitution
In 1877 Orange JacobsOrange Jacobs
Orange Jacobs was a Delegate from the Territory of Washington.Born near Geneseo, New York, Jacobs moved with his parents to Michigan Territory in 1831....
, Washington’s Delegate to Congress, requested an enabling act which would allow Washington to become a state as soon as a state constitution was drafted and ratified by the voters. At the same time, an act was passed by the Washington Territorial Legislative Assembly to convene a constitutional convention. Without waiting for action by Congress, Washington’s voters elected fifteen delegates who met in Walla Walla
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
in the summer of 1878 and drafted a constitution. In November, 1878, the voters of the territory approved the constitution with a vote of 6537 in favor, and 3236 opposed.
Although never approved by Congress, the 1878 territorial Constitution is an important historical document which shows the political thinking of the time. It was used extensively during the drafting of Washington State’s 1889 Constitution, the one and only official Constitution of the State of Washington.
1889 constitution
In December of 1888, CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
introduced an act to enable
Enabling act
An enabling act is a piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it for authorization or legitimacy the power to take certain actions. For example, enabling acts often establish government agencies to carry out specific government policies in a modern nation...
Washington, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
to become states. Among other requirements in the Enabling Act of 1889
Enabling Act of 1889
The Enabling Act of 1889 is a United States statute that enabled North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington to form state governments and to gain admission as states of the union....
, Congress asked each prospective state to draft and ratify a state constitution.
An election was held to choose 75 delegates to frame a constitution for the State of Washington. The elected delegates assembled on July 4, 1889 in the Territorial Capitol Building
Washington State Capitol
The Washington State Capitol or Legislative Building in Olympia is the home of the government of the state of Washington. It contains chambers for the Washington State Legislature and offices for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and treasurer and is part of a campus consisting...
in Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
and labored through the summer to draft a constitution which would form the basis for all future Washington laws. On August 23, 1889, the convention concluded its work. Miles C. Moore
Miles Conway Moore
Miles Conway Moore was the fourteenth and last Territorial Governor of Washington Territory.-Further reading:...
, the last governor of Washington Territory
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
, called for an election to be held on October 1, 1889 to ratify the state constitution and elect the officers of the new state government. A vote of 40,152 to 11,879 approved the Washington State Constitution.
A certified copy of the Constitution of the State of Washington was sent by courier to President Harrison
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
whose approval was necessary before Washington was proclaimed a state. Days went by with no word; finally on November 4, 1889 a message was received, stating that Governor Moore forgot to sign the Constitution and President Harrison could not approve it. Overnight a new copy was prepared (in long-hand since there were no copying machines in 1889), and it was sent to the President by courier the next day. On November 11, 1889 the President issued a proclamation declaring Washington's Constitution approved, and the state was admitted to the Union.
External links
- Washington Constitution: Full text of the Washington Constitution provided by the Washington State Legislature