Liberian Constitution of 1847

The Liberian Constitution of 1847 was adopted on 26 July 1847 by a twelve-member constitutional convention and remained Liberia's governing charter until it was suspended by the People's Redemption Council following the coup d'etat of 12 April 1980. Modeled largely on the Constitution of the United States but adapted to local conditions, it restricted citizenship and land ownership to persons of color while extending certain economic rights to women, an unusual provision for its era. The convention approved a declaration of independence on 26 July and finalized the constitution text on 28 July 1847, and a September referendum ratified it by a heavy majority of 211 to 58 votes, though only 269 of roughly 600 eligible voters took part. The document established three branches of government, with a bicameral legislature, a popularly elected president serving two-year terms, and explicit powers of judicial review. The convention's own proceedings are poorly documented, since its records were lost and much of what is known rests on one delegate's private diary.