Simone Lawson
Alabama's first constitution was written in 1819, between July 5 and August 2, by 44 delegates from across the Alabama Territory. The delegates, who were lawyers, merchants, ministers, planters, farmers, and physicians, gathered in Huntsville to draft a constitution for statehood. The document was considered liberal for its time, as it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to just property holders, taxpayers, or members of the state militia, and it provided some minimal protections to enslaved people. The constitution was amended three times before a new one was written in 1861, which took Alabama out of the Union just before the American Civil War. Alabama has had seven constitutions to date, with the current one being ratified in 2022.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | July 5, 1819 - August 2, 1819 |
| Location | Huntsville, Madison County |
| Delegates | 44 |
| Occupations of Delegates | Lawyers, physicians, ministers, planters, farmers, surveyor, merchant |
| President of the Convention | John Williams Walker |
| Secretary of the Convention | John Campbell |
| Chair of the Committee of Fifteen | Clement Comer Clay |
| Basis | Mississippi Constitution, U.S. Constitution |
| Amendments | Three |
| Length | 26 sheets of parchment, 31 feet long |
| Statehood | 1819 |
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What You'll Learn
Alabama's first constitution was written in 1819
The 1819 Constitution served as the first of six constitutions written for the State of Alabama over its two centuries of existence. It was a transitional constitution as Alabama moved from a territory to a state. The document was not submitted to the people for ratification but was instead proclaimed to have taken effect immediately upon the convention's adjournment.
Alabama's first constitution was considered liberal for its time because it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to just property holders, taxpayers, or members of the state militia. It also provided some minimal protections to enslaved people. The constitution included a preamble and declaration of rights, as well as setting out the distribution of powers and instructions for forming a legislative department, executive department, militia, judicial department, and public education. It also included rules on impeachment, taxation, and slavery.
The original document was written on 26 sheets of parchment, with the last two pages containing the signatures of the 44 delegates. The sheets were attached together by blue grosgrain ribbon and red sealing wax, creating a document almost 31 feet long. The constitution remained in place until 1861, when a new constitution was written that took Alabama out of the Union just before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
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44 delegates wrote it
Alabama's first constitution was written in 1819, marking the state's transition from a territory to a state. The document was composed by 44 delegates from the Alabama Territory, including lawyers, physicians, ministers, planters, farmers, a surveyor, and a merchant. The group convened in Huntsville, Madison County, from July 5 until August 2, 1819, in Walker Allen's cabinet shop.
The convention was presided over by John Williams Walker, with future U.S. Treasurer John Campbell serving as its secretary. A Committee of Fifteen, chaired by Clement Comer Clay, was tasked with drafting the constitution. The document was modelled after the constitution of Mississippi, which was based on the U.S. Constitution.
The Alabama Constitution of 1819 was considered liberal for its time, as it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to property owners, taxpayers, or militia members. It also provided some protections for enslaved people. The constitution included a preamble and declaration of rights, distribution of powers, and instructions for forming various departments, including legislative, executive, militia, and judicial. It also addressed rules on impeachment, taxation, and slavery.
The document was written on 26 sheets of parchment, with the last two pages bearing the signatures of the 44 delegates. These sheets were bound together with grosgrain silk ribbon and sealing wax, resulting in a document almost 31 feet long. It was unanimously adopted on July 30 and officially took effect on August 2, 1819, marking the end of the convention.
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It was drafted in a cabinetmaker's shop
Alabama's first constitution was drafted in 1819, in Walker Allen's cabinet shop in Huntsville, Madison County. The constitution was written to facilitate Alabama's transition from a territory to a state. On July 5, 1819, 44 delegates from the Alabama Territory, including lawyers, physicians, ministers, planters, farmers, a surveyor, and a merchant, gathered to draft a constitution for statehood. The delegates elected John Williams Walker as the president of the convention and future U.S. Treasurer John Campbell as its secretary. A Committee of Fifteen, chaired by Clement Comer Clay, was tasked with drawing up the new constitution. The committee based the constitution largely on that of Mississippi, which was itself modelled on the U.S. Constitution. The document was drafted on 26 sheets of parchment, sealed with grosgrain silk ribbon and red sealing wax, for a total length of 31 feet. It was unanimously adopted on July 30 and officially went into effect on August 2, 1819.
The Alabama Constitution of 1819 was considered liberal for its time. Notably, it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to property owners, taxpayers, or members of the state militia. It also provided some minimal protections for enslaved people. The constitution included a preamble and declaration of rights, as well as setting out the distribution of powers and instructions for forming a legislative department, executive department, militia, and judicial department. It also included rules on impeachment, taxation, and public education. The document was not submitted to the people for ratification but rather was proclaimed to have taken effect on the day the convention adjourned.
The Alabama Constitution of 1819 was the first of six state constitutions that defined the political, social, and economic landscape of Alabama. Alabama has had seven constitutions to date, with the current one being ratified in 2022. The constitution of 1819 remained in place until 1861, when a new constitution was written that took Alabama out of the Union just before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
The site where the historic document was created is now commemorated at Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park and Museum in downtown Huntsville. A replica of the cabinetmaker's shop, later called Constitution Hall, was built in the 1970s.
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![Constitution, State of Alabama: As Adopted by the Constitutional Convention, September 3rd, 1901 ... 1901 [Leather Bound]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61vI5PkK8ZL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
It was considered liberal for the time
Alabama's first constitution was written in 1819, making it the first of six constitutions written for the state over two centuries. The document was drafted by 44 delegates from the Alabama Territory, including lawyers, physicians, ministers, planters, farmers, a surveyor, and a merchant. It was considered liberal for the time, as it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to property owners, taxpayers, or members of the state militia. Instead, it provided for universal white male suffrage, stating that "every white male person above the age of twenty-one years, who shall be a citizen of the United States and resident in this State...shall be deemed a qualified elector." Additionally, it offered some minimal protections to enslaved people, which was a progressive step, albeit a limited one.
The constitution was proclaimed to be in effect on August 2, 1819, the day the convention adjourned, rather than being submitted to the people for ratification. This was an unusual feature of the document, which already stood out for its democratic nature. The delegates who drafted it believed in the separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and this was reflected in the final text. The constitution also included the right to vote on amendments, giving the people of Alabama direct participation in constitutional lawmaking.
The Alabama Constitution of 1819 was a transitional document, marking the state's shift from a territory to a fully-fledged state. It set out a legal framework for self-government, aiming to protect the sovereignty of the people. The document was modelled largely on the constitution of Mississippi, which was itself based on the U.S. Constitution. It included a preamble, a declaration of rights, and provisions on the distribution of powers, as well as instructions for forming various departments, including legislative, executive, militia, and judicial.
While the 1819 Constitution was considered liberal for its time, it still bore the marks of the era in which it was written. For example, it restricted suffrage to white males, excluding women and people of colour from the democratic process. Additionally, while it offered some protections to enslaved people, these were minimal, and the document also included rules on slavery and taxation. The constitution remained in place until 1861, when a new constitution was written, taking Alabama out of the Union just before the American Civil War.
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It was amended three times
Alabama's first constitution was written in 1819. It was considered liberal for its time, as it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to property owners, taxpayers, or militia members. It also provided some minimal protections to enslaved people. The document was amended three times:
1830 Amendment
In 1830, the Alabama legislature removed lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices, instead opting for six-year terms.
1846 Amendment
An amendment approved by the people and the legislature in 1846 extended the term length for Representatives from one year to two years. It also moved the State Capitol from Cahaba, Dallas County, to Montgomery.
1850 Amendment
The 1850 amendment revised the timeline for state censuses and provided Senators with four-year terms. It also authorized popular elections for circuit and county judges.
The 1819 Constitution remained in effect until 1861, when Alabama adopted a new constitution that took the state out of the Union just before the outbreak of the American Civil War. Alabama has since had several other constitutions, with the current and seventh constitution being ratified by voters in 2022.
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Frequently asked questions
Alabama's first constitution was written in 1819.
44 delegates from across the Alabama Territory, including lawyers, physicians, ministers, planters, farmers, a surveyor, and a merchant, were involved in writing Alabama's first constitution.
Alabama's first constitution was written in Huntsville, Madison County, specifically in a cabinetmaker's shop.
Alabama's first constitution was considered liberal for its time because it did not restrict voting rights and office holding to just property owners, taxpayers, or members of the state militia. It also provided some minimal protections to enslaved people.
