Constitution of the State of New York

The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constitution's provisions tend to be more detailed, and amended more often than its federal counterpart. Because the history of the state constitution differs from the federal constitution, the New York Court of Appeals has seen fit to interpret analogous provisions differently from United States Supreme Court's interpretation of federal provisions.

New York State has held nine Constitutional Conventions: in 1776–1777; 1801; 1821; 1846; 1867–1868; 1894; 1915; 1938; and 1967; a Constitutional Commission in 1872–1873, and a Judicial Convention in 1921. Despite this fact, the state has had only four essentially constitutions in its history, those of 1777 (replacing the former colonial charter), 1821, 1846 and 1894.

During the 20th century, the State held three constitutional conventions, the efforts of two of which were rejected by the New York State electorate. However, portions of the seventh Convention's proposals of 1915 were adopted separately later in 1925 and 1927. The eighth Constitutional Convention of 1938, unlike all other state constitutional conventions since 1801, did not actually propose an entirely new Constitution, but just substantially modified the 1894 Constitution, from the sixth Convention, which was (and is) still in force.

The Fourth New York Provincial Congress, resolving itself as the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York, adopted the first constitution of the state of New York on April 20, 1777.

The Province of New York, its original proprietor of the Duke of York, the future James II of England and James VII of Scotland and younger brother of the then-King of England, Charles I, was established after the naval invasion and absorption of the previous Dutch Colony of New Netherlands by its Colonial Charter under authority from the Monarch, (the King or Queen of Great Britain) of the Kingdom of England and later of Great Britain, after the Act of Union of 1707 which united England and Wales and the formerly long-time independent kingdom in the north, Scotland.

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