Tracing over 200 years of constitutional tradition in Florida  
 
“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, 1960?1980
 
As historical documents, constitutions represent a unique window into the economic, social, and political contexts of the people who debated, drafted, and ratified them.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.  
 
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.  
 
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. 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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