Constitution of Florida
One of the requirements for a United States territory to become a State of the Union is that its constitution must be approved by the United States Congress. In order to fulfill that requirement, an Act was passed by the Florida Territorial Council in 1838, approved by Governor Richard Keith Call, calling for the election of delegates in October 1838 to a convention to be held at St. Joseph, Florida. The delegates were to draft a constitution and bill of rights for the Territory of Florida. The Constitutional Convention convened on December 3, 1838, with Robert R. Reid presiding as president and Joshua Knowles secretary. The work of the Convention was carried out by eighteen committees, whose members were familiar with that particular area of government. The process was a relatively simple one since they used the constitutions of several other Southern states as models. Only on the subject of banking did much debate take place. The Convention adjourned "sine die" on January 11, 1839.
Constitution of Florida
Two constitutions were submitted to General Meade; the Committee on Reconstruction adopted the "moderate" one, on Meade's recommendation. Through the reapportionment, less than a fourth of voters could elect a majority of the State Senate, and less than a third the Assembly. As said in a letter to Senator David Yulee, "Under our Constitution the Judiciary & State officers will be appointed & the apportionment will prevent a negro legislsture." Freedmen's Bureau agent William J. Furman later bragged that he had prevented Florida from being "niggerized".