The three chapters in Unit 2 of a six-unit series on Indiana state history designed to be taught in Indiana secondary schools chronicle the need for rewriting the Constitution of 1816, the events of the Constitutional Convention of 1850-51, and the details of the new constitution. Chapter 1 explains the reasons that Hoosiers wanted a new constitution. After a rapid population increase in Indiana, the Constitution of 1816 ceased to meet the needs of the new state, and many Hoosiers felt that the government created by the 1816 Constitution was not democratic enough. Chapter 2 details the events of the Constitutional Convention of 1850-51. The delegates met in Indianapolis to write the new constitution, which was based largely on the previous constitution and the U.S. Bill of Rights. The new constitution made the state government more democratic by extending the franchise to all white males. Chapter 3 analyzes features of the Constitution of 1851. The government under the new constitution is studied including a look at how the General Assembly makes laws, provisions for the executive branch, and changes in the judicial branch of government. (SM)