Massachusetts Constitution

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was written by John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin. The constitution was adopted in 1780 and is often called the oldest functioning written constitution in the world.

References

• Speaking of John Adams, historian David McCullough, said, "... he also drafted the oldest written Constitution still in use in the world today -- the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, written 10 years before our own Constitution, and had great influence on the national Constitution." White House (Nov. 1, 2000), Remarks by the President and Historian David McCullough at Ceremony of 200th Anniversary of the White House. Press Release