In Search of Fundamental Law: Louisiana's Constitutions, 1812-1974

Louisiana's colorful past is mirrored in its numerous state constitutions. The 1812 constitution not only satisfied one of the conditions of statehood, but also laid the foundation for the peculiar mixture of Anglo-American and European legal traditions that have characterized Louisiana law and government to the present. The constitutions of 1845, 1852, 1864, 1868, 1879, 1898, 1913, 1921, and 1974 have repeatedly adjusted the state's governmental framework to the political, economic, and social realities of their times. In Search of Fundamental Law examines each of these constitutions in detail.