Florida Constitutional Convention of 1838
A handwritten copy of the 1838 Constitution or "Form of Government for the People of Florida," signed by Convention President, Robert Raymond Reid, and Convention Secretary, Joshua Knowles resides at the State Archives of Florida. Considered "a secretary's copy" this document is the only known copy of the 1838 Constitution. The original Constitution, signed by all the delegates, has never been found. The preamble to the Constitution of 1838:
Constitution of Florida
In October 1865, delegates met to revoke the Ordinance of Secession and write a new Constitution. This Constitution, since it limited suffrage to white male citizens, did not meet the requirements of Congress for seating delegates from the former Confederate states, and it was scrapped in favor of the Constitution of 1868.