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As historical
documents, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social,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