First page of the Wyoming Constitution. The original handwritten copy contains 108 pages. (WSA SOS records)

The Wyoming State Constitution was drafted by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention in September 1889. The Wyoming voters approved the document in the general election on November 5, 1889.

The constitution was the first in the world to guarantee universal suffrage to all of its citizens. It would be another 30 years before the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was passed, guaranteeing the right to all women in the United States.Wyoming's revolutionary water laws were also laid out in its constitution. Based upon the system suggested by Territorial Engineer Elwood Mead, all of the water in Wyoming became property of the State. The water was then allocated to users based upon need and seniority of the claim (first in time, first in right) to ensure that all users received a fair amount of the precious resource for their needs and discouraging speculators. The system proved itself during a severe drought a few years later and 12 western states would eventually adopt all or a portion of the laws.Though amendments have been made to the document, the spirit of the Constitution remains much as it was originally written.

Copies of the Document

Additional Resources

• Online Constitution Exhibit by the Wyoming State Archives (accessed June 2015)