Constitution of the State of North Carolina
1971
North Carolina's current constitution was ratified in 1971, replacing the Reconstruction-era constitution of 1868. It was the product of a broad revision effort to modernize outdated language and reorganize the state's governmental structure while preserving the essential democratic framework. North Carolina has maintained a constitutional tradition since 1776, when it became one of the first states to draft its own governing document. The 1971 constitution is notably concise compared to other southern state constitutions, and it contains a Declaration of Rights that precedes its structural provisions, signaling the priority of individual liberties in the state's constitutional design.
Preamble
We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution.