Constitution of the State of Kansas
1861
Kansas's constitution, known as the Wyandotte Constitution, was drafted in Wyandotte (now Kansas City, Kansas) in July 1859 by a convention that drew its delegates almost entirely from the Free State faction, decisively rejecting the earlier pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution that Congress had twice refused to seat. Voters ratified the Wyandotte Constitution in October 1859, and it took effect when Kansas was admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, just weeks before the Civil War began. The document was notable for its time in granting women the right to vote in school elections, and Kansas women gained full suffrage in 1912, eight years before the Nineteenth Amendment. The 1859 text, amended frequently, remains in force today.
Preamble
We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish this constitution of the state of Kansas, with the following boundaries, to wit:
Bill of Rights
Section 1. Equal rights. All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Section 2. Political power; privileges. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and are instituted for their equal protection and benefit. No special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted by the legislature, which may not be altered, revoked or repealed by the same body; and this power shall be exercised by no other tribunal or agency. Section 3. Right of peaceable assembly; petition. The people have the right to assemble, in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, for the redress of grievances. Section 11. Liberty of press and speech; libel. The liberty of the press shall be inviolate; and all persons may freely speak, write or publish their sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of such rights.