This legal research guide provides information on both official and unofficial codified laws, session laws, statutory revisions, and the constitutions.
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Since the 1500's when the Spanish claimed the territory, present-day Texas has been part of Spain, France, Mexico, the Confederacy, the United States of America and was an independent republic. Between 1824 and 1876, nations drafted founding documents which established the entity of Texas and defined the rights of its citizens and the powers of government. Below are a selection of resources available in the library's collection and online pertaining to various constitutions. See reference staff for additional options.
This digital collection of Texas Constitutions was created by the Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas. It provides access to all Constitutions from 1824 to 1876 along with convention journals, debates, and ordinances. This resource also offers an extensive annotated bibliography for additional research.
Contains text of the Texas Constitution as of 1824, 1827, and 1836. Available online through the University of North Texas's Portal to Texas History.
Includes text of the Texas Constitution as of 1836 (p. 25) and 1845 (p. 50). Available online through HathiTrust.
Includes text of the Texas Constitution as of 1836 (p. 31), 1845 (p. 47), and 1866 (p. 929). Available online through HathiTrust. Also available in print in the library's archive. The library also has a print copy of the first edition (1866).
Includes text of the Texas Constitution as of 1845 (p. 13). Available online through HathiTrust. Annotated editions of the Texas Constitution.The current Constitution of the State of Texas was originally approved in 1876 and is regularly amended. Below are a selection of resources available in the library and online pertaining to the current state constitution. See reference staff for additional options.
The Texas Legislative Council publishes a booklet (also available online as a PDF document) containing the current state Constitution. It is published every two years to reflect new amendments.
This 1977 work is known as Braden's Annotated Texas Constitution. It covers the origins, historical development, and contemporary meaning of each section of the Texas Constitution. The authors also provides history and interpretive commentary throughout.
Published by the Texas Legislative Council, this publication seeks to clarify the lengthy amendatory history of the state constitution. Per the preface "Since 1876, the legislature has proposed 656 constitutional amendments, and 653 have gone before Texas voters. Of the amendments on the ballot, 474 have been approved by the electorate and 179 have been defeated. The other three amendments never made it to the ballot for reasons that are historically obscure."
Before each election that has proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution on the ballot, the Texas Legislative Council produces this publication. Included are the text of the joint resolution, ballot language, background and analysis of the proposal, and arguments for and against passage of the measure. 1983-2009 also available in print at the library.
