The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation has unveiled a landmark contribution to civic understanding in Michigan: the Michigan Constitutional Archive. The first comprehensive database of its kind, this new online resource brings nearly 190 years of Michigan’s constitutional history together in one accessible, easy-to-navigate platform, freely available to every resident of our state.
The archive has already sparked excitement among litigators, lawmakers and educators alike. What once required combing through scattered libraries and obscure records can now be explored with a few clicks.
The project was spearheaded by Patrick J. Wright, the Mackinac Center’s vice president for legal affairs, and brought to life through the technical expertise of information technology developer Isaiah Bierbrauer. Together — with the assistance of various colleagues and interns — they assembled the full text of all 284 proposed amendments since 1835, complete with edits, primary sources and supporting documents. The result is a tool that lets users watch Michigan’s constitutional conversation unfold across generations.
A highlight of the archive is the complete, digitized record of the 1961 Constitutional Convention. Transcripts of the constitutional debate offer an unusually personal look at the ideas and compromises that shaped the constitution we live under today. For anyone curious about how earlier Michiganders wrestled with questions of rights, representation, or the balance of government power, the archive offers a depth and richness that was previously out of reach.
Bringing this public resource to life required patience, collaboration and a deep belief in transparency. The Mackinac Center litigation and technology teams spent years gathering documents, standardizing formats and building a platform that welcomes the everyday user, not just scholars.
“Michigan’s constitutional history is foundational to understanding how our state’s laws, rights and government originated and remain relevant,” said Wright. “The Michigan Constitutional Archive brings transparency and accessibility to that history in one place for the first time.”
We hope this archive invites every Michigander to explore the foundations of their rights and institutions with clarity and confidence.
You can visit it today at mackinac.org/constitution.
