Malcolm Rivera
Port St. Joe, a small town in Northwest Florida, is known as The Constitution City because, in 1838, Florida's first constitution was drafted there when it was still called St. Joseph. The constitution paved the way for Florida to become the 27th state in the union in 1845. The town was founded in 1835 and was a bustling port city in the early 1800s, with a population of around 11,000. It was mostly abandoned in 1841 after a yellow fever epidemic. Today, Port St. Joe is a fast-developing tourist destination known for its waterways and natural beauty.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Former name | St. Joseph |
| Year Florida's first constitution was drafted | 1838 |
| Number of delegates | 56 |
| Number of delegates from northern Florida | 51 |
| Number of delegates from eastern and middle Florida | 5 |
| Names of some delegates | Robert Raymond Reid, William P. Duvall, David Y. Levy, Thomas L Baltzell, John L. McKinnon, Thomas Levan Baltzell, William Pope Duval |
| Current population | 3,357 |
| Population in 1837 | 11,000 |
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What You'll Learn
Florida's first constitution was drafted in Port St. Joe in 1838
Port St. Joe, a small town in Northwest Florida, is known as "The Constitution City" because Florida's first constitution was drafted there in 1838. At the time, the town was called St. Joseph and was a bustling port city. It was the most populous city in the territory of Florida, with a population of around 11,000.
The constitution was drafted by 56 delegates from all counties in Territorial Florida, 51 of whom came from northern Florida. Notable delegates included John L. McKinnon from Walton County and Thomas Levan Baltzell of Jackson County, who later became the state's first supreme court justice. William Pope Duval of Calhoun County was the territory's first civilian governor and the one who chose Tallahassee as the state capital.
The constitution paved the way for Florida to become the 27th state in the union in 1845. The process began with a convention held in St. Joseph on December 3, 1838, which led to the drafting of the constitution for the Territory of Florida. The delegates ratified the constitution 39 days after the convention.
Today, the town of St. Joseph is known as Port St. Joe, and the story of Florida's first constitution is brought to life at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park. The museum features exhibits on the original settlement of St. Joseph, a replica of the convention hall, and life-size, audio-animated mannequins that reenact the debates of the delegates who drafted the constitution.
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56 delegates gathered to draft the constitution
Port St. Joe, Florida, is known as "The Constitution City" because, in 1838, Florida's first constitution was drafted there when it was still called St. Joseph. The town of St. Joseph is now known as Port St. Joe. A convention held in St. Joseph, Florida, led to the drafting of the constitution for the Territory of Florida on December 3, 1838, and also to the state's first constitution. On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state.
56 delegates gathered in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787, to draft the four parchment pages of the original United States Constitution. The delegates met in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, later known as Independence Hall. The convention was initially called to revise the existing Articles of Confederation, but the delegates rejected them altogether and produced the first written constitution for any nation in history. The task was formidable, and the delegates were deeply divided. However, they managed to strike a delicate balance between governmental power and personal liberty.
The presence of prominent figures such as Benjamin Franklin and General George Washington gave the group dignity and prestige. James Madison, known as the "father of the Constitution," was a driving force behind the convention and played a key role in its intellectual leadership. Other notable delegates included James Wilson, who favoured a single executive with absolute veto power, and William Paterson, who helped author the New Jersey Plan to safeguard the rights of small states.
The process of drafting the Constitution involved combining the ideas of each individual to create a unified document. After the Constitution was written and signed, Madison collaborated with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay to write the Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays explaining the significance of the Constitution to persuade states to ratify it. Madison also contributed by writing the first ten amendments, including the Bill of Rights, which were adopted by the first Congress.
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Tallahassee was not the location of the drafting due to political disagreements
Port St. Joe, previously known as St. Joseph, is a city in Gulf County, Florida. It is known as "The Constitution City" because Florida's first constitution was drafted there in 1838. The constitution laid the foundation for Florida to become the 27th state of the union in 1845.
St. Joseph was founded in 1835 by businessmen from nearby Apalachicola, which was troubled by legal conflicts over land titles. By 1837, St. Joseph was a flourishing port town, with a population of around 11,000, making it the largest city in the Territory of Florida. On December 3, 1838, 56 delegates from all counties in Territorial Florida assembled in St. Joseph to draft the constitution. Of these delegates, 51 were from northern Florida, and only five were from the area between what is now Gainesville and Key West. Notable delegates included John L. McKinnon from Walton County and Thomas Levan Baltzell of Jackson County, who later became the state's first supreme court justice.
St. Joseph was chosen as the location for the drafting of the constitution over Tallahassee due to ongoing political disagreements between the eastern and middle parts of Florida. Additionally, St. Joseph boasted better infrastructure and amenities than Tallahassee at the time. However, despite being the site of Florida's first constitution, St. Joseph was mostly abandoned in 1841 after a yellow fever epidemic and a hurricane that destroyed the remaining structures. The new town of Port St. Joe was founded in the early 1900s, and the city reinvented itself as a lumber port, fishing village, and paper mill town.
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The original name of Port St. Joe was St. Joseph
St. Joseph was founded in 1835 by businessmen from nearby Apalachicola due to legal conflicts over land titles. It boasted a deeper harbour of 17 feet and soon became the largest city in the Territory of Florida, with a population of nearly 11,000. However, in 1841, a yellow fever epidemic destroyed most of the town, and it was further ravaged by a hurricane in 1844.
In 1838, St. Joseph hosted a convention that led to the drafting of the constitution for the Territory of Florida on December 3, 1838, and subsequently, the state's first constitution. This event earned the city its nickname, "The Constitution City". Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845.
Unfortunately, St. Joseph suffered a series of calamities, including hurricanes, wildfires, and yellow fever, which left the town in ruins. The new town of Port St. Joe was eventually founded in the early 1900s, and the area transformed into a tourist destination. Today, Port St. Joe is a charming small town known for its seafood cuisine and natural attractions, including its vast waterways and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.
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St. Joseph was a bustling port town and a boomtown
Port St. Joe, Florida, is known as "The Constitution City" because Florida's first constitution was drafted there in 1838 when it was still called St. Joseph. The constitution paved the way for Florida to become the 27th state in the union in 1845.
St. Joseph was founded in 1835 by businessmen from nearby Apalachicola, which was troubled by legal conflict over land titles. Its harbor was deeper at 17 feet, and a railway from Depot Creek to St. Joseph's Bay opened in 1836, making it the first to utilize steam locomotion in Florida. By 1837, St. Joseph was a bustling port town and a thriving boomtown—it was the largest city in the Territory of Florida, with a population of nearly 11,000. It was also the most populous city in the territory of Florida in the early 1800s, with more people than the current city of Port St. Joe today.
St. Joseph's prosperity was short-lived, however. In 1841, a yellow fever epidemic destroyed most of the town, and it turned into a ghost town. A storm surge produced by a hurricane in 1844 destroyed what structures remained. During the Civil War, Florida was a leading producer of salt for the Confederate army. On September 15, 1862, a Union army officer wrote that he and his men had demanded that the extensive salt works at Saint Joseph cease production. When they did not, the Union army sent at least 50 men inland, and the salt works were destroyed.
Today, the town of St. Joseph has become Port St. Joe, a quaint, historic small town. Visitors can learn about its history at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park, which features artifacts from the original settlement of St. Joseph and a replica convention hall with life-size, audio-animated mannequins reenacting the debates of the delegates who drafted the constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
Port St. Joe is called the Constitution City because Florida's first constitution was drafted there in 1838.
The former name of Port St. Joe was St. Joseph.
The state constitution wasn't drafted in Tallahassee due to ongoing political disagreements between the eastern and middle parts of Florida.
You can learn more about the history of Florida's first constitution at the Constitution Convention Museum State Park.
