Secretary of State marks Constitution Day with unveiling of official printing of Maine Constitution

AUGUSTA, MAINE – Secretary of State Shenna Bellows marked Constitution Day by formally unveiling the official printing of the Maine Constitution, the first formal printing since 1876. The unveiling took place at the Maine State Cultural Center in Augusta and included displays of the original 1820 copy of the Maine State Constitution and the 1876 version along with the new printing.

For more than a century, Maine omitted three original sections – Sections 1, 2 and 5, of Article X of the Constitution – from official printed copies. The sections, which remained in full force despite the redaction, include treaty obligations to the Wabanaki tribal nations. In 2023, Mainers voted overwhelmingly to cancel the 1876 amendment compelling the redaction and restore the language to printed copies of the constitution. 

“Restoring this language to the Maine Constitution is a visible and lasting reminder of the important role the Wabanaki people played in the formation of Maine,” said Secretary Bellows. “The Wabanaki have existed in Maine for 13,000 years, and voters made it clear that their immeasurable contributions to our collective past, present and future should be known, acknowledged and celebrated, not hidden from history.”

The large format version was printed using a 19th century letterpress onto vellum by Wolfe Editions of Portland and will be permanently housed at the Maine State Archives along with the previous versions.  

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