Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

Tracing over 200 years of constitutional tradition in Florida


As historical documents, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social, and political contexts of the people who debated, drafted, and ratified them. This comprehensive volume examines all constitutions drafted in Florida, from the territorial era to the most recent version from 1968.


In addition to the 6 constitutional revisions implemented by the state government, chapters in this book include discussions of the West Florida Republic Constitution of 1810 and the East Florida Patriot Constitution of 1812, both created before Florida became a state, as well as the constitutions of the Seminole and Miccosukee People. Contributors show what aspects of each constitution were borrowed from existing traditions and what parts were influenced by circumstances of the time. Florida has the twelfth most-revised constitution in the nation, offering a useful case study both in comparison to other states and in the flexibility of state constitutions compared to the US Constitution.


This volume presents a complete history of the drafting of constitutions and the creation of governments across people and movements in Florida. It provides background information for today’s debates about whether the 1968 constitution should be revised and what the next steps are for the state in this 200-year tradition.

 

A volume in the series Government and Politics in the South, edited by Sharon D. Wright Austin and Angela K. Lewis-Maddox


Contributors: M.C. Mirow | James M. Denham | Robert Cassanello | Samuel C. Hyde, Jr. | Andrea L. Oliver | Christopher Day | Mary E. Adkins | R. Boyd Murphree | Andrew K. Frank

1146527315
Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

Tracing over 200 years of constitutional tradition in Florida


As historical documents, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social, and political contexts of the people who debated, drafted, and ratified them. This comprehensive volume examines all constitutions drafted in Florida, from the territorial era to the most recent version from 1968.


In addition to the 6 constitutional revisions implemented by the state government, chapters in this book include discussions of the West Florida Republic Constitution of 1810 and the East Florida Patriot Constitution of 1812, both created before Florida became a state, as well as the constitutions of the Seminole and Miccosukee People. Contributors show what aspects of each constitution were borrowed from existing traditions and what parts were influenced by circumstances of the time. Florida has the twelfth most-revised constitution in the nation, offering a useful case study both in comparison to other states and in the flexibility of state constitutions compared to the US Constitution.


This volume presents a complete history of the drafting of constitutions and the creation of governments across people and movements in Florida. It provides background information for today’s debates about whether the 1968 constitution should be revised and what the next steps are for the state in this 200-year tradition.

 

A volume in the series Government and Politics in the South, edited by Sharon D. Wright Austin and Angela K. Lewis-Maddox


Contributors: M.C. Mirow | James M. Denham | Robert Cassanello | Samuel C. Hyde, Jr. | Andrea L. Oliver | Christopher Day | Mary E. Adkins | R. Boyd Murphree | Andrew K. Frank

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Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

by Robert Cassanello (Editor)
Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

by Robert Cassanello (Editor)

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Overview

Tracing over 200 years of constitutional tradition in Florida


As historical documents, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social, and political contexts of the people who debated, drafted, and ratified them. This comprehensive volume examines all constitutions drafted in Florida, from the territorial era to the most recent version from 1968.


In addition to the 6 constitutional revisions implemented by the state government, chapters in this book include discussions of the West Florida Republic Constitution of 1810 and the East Florida Patriot Constitution of 1812, both created before Florida became a state, as well as the constitutions of the Seminole and Miccosukee People. Contributors show what aspects of each constitution were borrowed from existing traditions and what parts were influenced by circumstances of the time. Florida has the twelfth most-revised constitution in the nation, offering a useful case study both in comparison to other states and in the flexibility of state constitutions compared to the US Constitution.


This volume presents a complete history of the drafting of constitutions and the creation of governments across people and movements in Florida. It provides background information for today’s debates about whether the 1968 constitution should be revised and what the next steps are for the state in this 200-year tradition.

 

A volume in the series Government and Politics in the South, edited by Sharon D. Wright Austin and Angela K. Lewis-Maddox


Contributors: M.C. Mirow | James M. Denham | Robert Cassanello | Samuel C. Hyde, Jr. | Andrea L. Oliver | Christopher Day | Mary E. Adkins | R. Boyd Murphree | Andrew K. Frank


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813073804
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Publication date: 06/24/2025
Series: Government and Politics in the South
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 234
File size: 4 MB

About the Author

Robert Cassanello, associate professor of history at the University of Central Florida, is the author of To Render Invisible: Jim Crow and Public Life in New South Jacksonville.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

List of Tables vii Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Robert Cassanello
1.    A Florida Constitution in the State of Louisiana: The 1810 Constitution of the State of Florida 16
Samuel C. Hyde
2.    The Patriot Constitution and International Constitution-Making 33
M.C. Mirow
3.    Florida’s First State Constitutional Convention in 1838 60
James M. Denham
4.    The Constitution of 1861: Florida’s Confederate Constitution 86
R. Boyd Murphree
5.    The 1865 Convention and Constitution 112
Robert Cassanello
6.    In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union: The Drafting and Crafting of the 1868 Florida Constitution 134
Andrea L. Oliver
7.    The 1885 Constitution 157
Christopher Day
8.    Florida’s Indigenous Constitutions: Being and Becoming Seminoles and Miccosukee in the Mid-Twentieth Century 174
Andrew K. Frank
9.    Crafting Florida’s 1968 Constitution 189
Mary Adkins
 
Conclusion: The Twenty-First Century and a New State Constitution 203
Robert Cassanello
Selected Bibliography 209 List of Contributors 215 Index 217


What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This is a valuable retelling of the story of Florida through its nine different constitutions and the forces that created them and the consequences that followed them.”—Neil Skene, author of The Supreme Court of Florida: A Journey toward Justice, 1972–1987

 

“Cassanello has assembled an impressive array of scholars who provide the context and circumstances pertaining to each of the state’s multiple governing documents with penetrating detail and sharp analysis. This volume offers intriguing insight on Florida’s unique history. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the state’s fascinating, complex, and constantly evolving constitutional foundation.”—J. Michael Butler, author of Beyond Integration: The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 19601980

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