Constitution of the State of California
1879
California's current constitution was drafted in 1878 and 1879 and ratified by voters in May 1879, replacing the more concise original constitution under which California was admitted to the Union in 1850. The 1879 convention was driven largely by anti-railroad and anti-Chinese sentiment: delegates were furious at the political dominance of the Central Pacific Railroad and at the economic competition they attributed to Chinese immigrant workers, and the document reflects both grievances. It established the State Railroad Commission to regulate railroad rates and wrote discriminatory provisions against Chinese residents that were later struck down under the Fourteenth Amendment. Generations of amendment have expanded the document enormously; today it is one of the longest constitutions in the world, running to approximately 110 articles, and California voters continue to use the initiative process to write new provisions directly into it.
Preamble
We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, do establish this Constitution.
Declaration of Rights
All people are by nature free and independent and have inalienable rights. Among these are enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy. A person may not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law or denied equal protection of the laws. The State of California is an inseparable part of the United States of America, and the United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land.