The Texas Constitution of 1876 was adopted on February 15, 1876. Though it was the sixth constitution framed since Texas won its independence in 1836, the 1876 Constitution remains the basic organic law of Texas.
Many of the constitution’s features, such as policies dealing with land laws and titles and restrictions on banking, are uniquely Texan. The Constitution of 1876 also provided for the establishment of the University of Texas. To support the university and its branches, the constitution established a Permanent University Fund. This fund, which still flourishes, helps keep tuitions low for Texas college students who attend state universities.
The Constitution of 1876 has been amended numerous times–so often, in fact, that the process has become something of a regional joke–but despite its quirks and cumbersome length the document has served Texas well.
