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
This constitution stated that one seat in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate were allocated to the Seminole Indians, which had to be filled by a member of their tribe "and in no case by a white man." Their positions were never filled, and this provision was not carried over into subsequent constitutions.