Constitution of Florida
Florida's first constitution as a U.S. territory was written and implemented in 1838. On March 3, 1845, Florida was granted admission into the Union as the 27th state. The current Constitution of Florida was ratified on November 5, 1968, and has been modified by initiative and referendum several times since.
Frederick L. Villepigue
On January 11, 1861, at the outbreak of the American Civil War, Villepigue publicly affixed the Great Seal of the State of Florida to Florida's Declaration of Independence on the east portico of the State Capitol, turned to face an assembled crowd, and "in a clear distinct voice proclaimed Florida an independent nation. A second later 15 cannon were fired in salute of the new state and shouting broke fourth."