Crafting Constitutions in Florida, 1810-1968

Tracing over 200 years of constitutional tradition inFlorida As historicaldocuments, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social,and political contexts of the people who debated, drafted, and ratified them. Thiscomprehensive volume examines all constitutions drafted in Florida, from theterritorial era to the most recent version from 1968.In addition to the6 constitutional revisions implemented by the state government, chapters inthis book include discussions of the West Florida Republic Constitution of 1810and the East Florida Patriot Constitution of 1812, both created before Floridabecame a state, as well as the constitutions of the Seminole and MiccosukeePeople. Contributors show what aspects of each constitution were borrowed from existingtraditions and what parts were influenced by circumstances of the time. Floridahas the twelfth most-revised constitution in the nation, offering a useful casestudy both in comparison to other states and in the flexibility of stateconstitutions compared to the US Constitution.This volumepresents a complete history of the drafting of constitutions and the creationof governments across people and movements in Florida. It provides backgroundinformation for todays debates about whether the 1968 constitution should berevised and what the next steps are for the state in this 200-year tradition.A volume in theseries Government and Politics in the South, edited by Sharon D. Wright Austinand Angela K. Lewis-MaddoxContributors: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