Tennesseans pioneered innovations in self-government beginning in 1772, and they have continued to do so since the enactment of their first formal constitution in 1796. Over time, Tennessee has adopted, abolished, and changed it's constitution as political and social needs demanded and allowed.

In The Tennessee State Constitution, Lewis L. Laska provides a comprehensive introduction to Tennessee's constitution including a history of its development beginning in the 1700s, article-by-article commentary on the constitution itself, and an extensive bibliography of Tennessee...