Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885

Florida Constitutional Convention of 1885 established a fifth constitution for the U.S. state of Florida. The convention was held from June 9, 1885 until August 3, 1885 in Leon, Florida "for the purpose of reforming the "Carpetbag" Constitution of 1868", according to course literature from the University of Virginia.[1] It was Florida's fifth constitutional convention and restored the election of many public officials, reduced the salaries of the governor and other state officers, made the governor ineligible for reelection, abolished the office of lieutenant governor, and provided for a legislature of fixed numbers.[2]

The agreed upon constitution added a residency requirement, forbid a second consecutive term for the office of governor, made the governor's cabinet elected instead of appointed, and made many state and local offices elective. It also mandated a poll tax as a requirement for voting. This was a compromise between smaller "black belt" counties who wanted more offices elected and those from larger and more prosperous counties. The poll tax disenfranchised African-Americans.[1]

The constitution ratified at the convention passed with a vote of 31, 804 to 21, 243. It was "the model" of Florida's government until 1968 and "represented the regression to racial discrimination which was occurring throughout the South in the post-Reconstruction period."[1]

Delegates

Robert Robinson- Santa Rosa

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rise And Fall of the Slave South," University of Virginia
  2. ↑

Additional sources

References

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