2/Foreword

Constitution of 1867, which still governs Maryland today, is the great-grandchild of
Maryland's first Constitution of 1777, and that constitution was the embodiment of
the values and experiences of men who were the product of nearly a century and a
half of growth, development, and experience in the Colony of Maryland. The Con-
stitutional Convention Commission of 1965-1967 and the Constitutional Conven-
tion of 1967-1968 were logical extensions of the political development of Maryland,
and as such the records generated by both bodies provide a unique perspective into
the Maryland political experience.

The Index and Guide that follow are essential keys to unlocking the vast store
of information contained in the archives of the Constitutional Convention Commis-
sion and Constitutional Convention. Used in conjunction they make available for
the first time the accumulated knowledge that resulted from the decision to attempt
to draft a new constitution for the State of Maryland. It is our hope that this volume
will encourage new studies of the Maryland Constitution and the political process in
the state, and that as a result we all will better understand our past and its implica-
tions for the future.

EDWARD C. PAPENFUSE
State Archivist and
Commissioner of Land Patents