Switzerland Adopts Constitution and Becomes Federal State (1848)
On September 12, 1848, Switzerland adopted a constitution and became a federal sovereign state.
As far back as the 13th century, present-day Switzerland was made up of local cantons, i.e. small independent states. However, in 1291, three Swiss cantons formed an allegiance as the first Swiss Confederation to defend themselves from invaders. In 1499, the Swiss Confederation declared independence from the Holy Roman Empire. And 1648, under the Treaty of Westphalia, these Swiss cantons acted as independent nations with their own borders, currencies, and armies.
In 1848, after a brief civil war between Protestants and Catholics within the Swiss cantons, the majority of Swiss cantons began to discuss creating a federal State modeled in part on the U.S. Constitution and French Revolution.
On this day, September 12, 1848, the majority of the 22 Switzerland cantons adopted a constitution and formed as a new federal sovereign state. The Swiss Constitution created a strong central government, range of civic liberties, fundamental individual rights, two chamber parliament including the "Nationalrat" (i.e. similar to the U.S. House of Representatives) and "Ständerat" (i.e. similar to the U.S. Senate), and a federal court of justice to settle disputes between the cantons.
The Swiss Constitution also created Swiss citizenship for the very first time, abolished internal tolls, unified weights, measurements, and currencies, and created a federal postal system. In short, the Swiss Constitution laid the foundation for modern Switzerland and its development of industry and services, including its world renowned banking industry, and chemical, engineering, the food industries.
In 1874, the Swiss Constitution was extensively amended and established federal responsibility for military defense, legal issues, and international trade. In 2000, the Swiss Constitution was revised and further updated.
Today, Switzerland’s federal structure is made up of three different political levels, including (i) the federal Confederation, (ii) the independent cantons, and (iii) the local communes. There are currently 26 Swiss cantons. Switzerland also has four official languages, including German, French, Italian, and Romansch, and English is widely spoken.