Constitution Village: where Alabama’s founders broke every political rule in 1819

Alabama’s 44 Delegates Draft Democracy in Huntsville

In 1819, Alabama wasn’t yet a state, just a territory with big dreams.

After President Monroe gave the green light in March, 44 men packed into a Huntsville cabinet shop on July 5. This mix of lawyers, doctors, farmers, and more crafted a shockingly forward-thinking document.

They tossed out voting rules that kept poor men from the polls and wrote a 31-foot-long constitution on parchment tied with blue silk ribbon.

Young printer John Boardman then worked his magic, printing over 1,000 copies for citizens to read. The historic Constitution Village in Huntsville still stands where Alabama’s journey to statehood began.

Monroe Gave Alabama the Green Light in 1819

President James Monroe signed a paper on March 2, 1819, letting Alabama Territory folks make their own state constitution. Alabama grew fast, jumping from just 1,250 people in 1800 to over 127,000 by 1820.

Monroe’s signature started the whole statehood process and set up the big meeting in Huntsville. The paper spelled out exactly what Alabama needed to do to become a full state.

Voters Picked a Diverse Group of Constitution Writers

Alabama Territory held elections in May 1819, with 22 counties picking 44 men to write the new constitution. North Alabama sent 28 delegates while South Alabama sent 16, since more people lived up north then.

The group included lawyers, doctors, preachers, farmers, planters, a surveyor, and a merchant.

Many areas in South and East Alabama stayed under Creek and Cherokee control, so those regions couldn’t send anyone to help create the new state government.

A Cabinet Shop Became Alabama’s First Capitol Building

The 44 delegates crowded into Walker Allen’s cabinet shop on July 5, 1819, because it was the only building in Huntsville big enough for everyone.

The shop sat in what people now call Constitution Village, near John Boardman’s print shop, Clement Comer Clay’s law office, and Sheriff Stephen Neal’s house.

During the meeting, President Monroe showed up in Huntsville for a surprise visit, adding extra buzz to the historic event.

Two Johns Led the Constitutional Work

Everyone voted for John Williams Walker as the meeting president, while future U.S. Treasurer John Campbell worked as secretary. Walker created a Committee of Fifteen with Clement Comer Clay as chairman to write the actual document.

The committee had eight members from North Alabama and seven from South Alabama to keep things fair. Clay and his team used Mississippi’s constitution as their main model but made many changes for Alabama.

Alabama Created One of America’s Most Democratic Constitutions

The Committee of Fifteen showed their draft to everyone on July 13, 1819.

Their plan removed property and education rules for voting, which made Alabama’s constitution very open for its time. The document created three branches of government with checks like the federal system.

It also included a Bill of Rights and let citizens vote directly on changes, something most other states didn’t allow back then.

The Physical Constitution Stretched Nearly 31 Feet Long

Meeting clerks wrote the constitution on 26 separate sheets of parchment paper. They connected all these sheets with blue silk ribbon and sealed them together with red wax.

When fully put together, the document measured almost 31 feet from end to end.

This unusual format made Alabama’s constitution physically stand out compared to other state constitutions, creating an impressive document for the new state.

The Capital City Sparked Heated Debates

Delegates argued hard about where to put the permanent state capital.

North Alabama representatives finally agreed to make Cahawba (now called Cahaba) the temporary capital from 1820 until 1825. In return, they got better legislative representation.

This compromise helped move the process forward without getting stuck on regional fights. After 1825, the General Assembly could pick a permanent capital location, which later became Montgomery.

Everyone Signed Off on the Final Document

The meeting approved the constitution on July 30, 1819, with no one voting against it. All 44 delegates signed the document on August 2, making it official.

Unlike many other state constitutions, Alabama never put theirs to a public vote. The constitution took effect right away when the meeting ended, with no need for more approval steps.

The delegates finished their historic work in just under a month.

A Young Printer Spread the News to All Alabamians

John Boardman, only 28 years old, got the job to print the official meeting records and the complete constitution. On August 3, 1819, he published the entire constitution in his newspaper, the Alabama Republican.

Boardman printed 1,004 copies for $55. 50, which would be about $1,000 today.

Thanks to his work, regular folks in Huntsville and beyond could read their new constitution and understand how their state government would work.

Fall Elections Picked the First State Leaders

Alabama held its first state elections in September 1819.

William Wyatt Bibb beat Marmaduke Williams by 8,342 votes to 7,140 to become Alabama’s first governor. The legislature chose John Williams Walker and William Rufus King as Alabama’s first U.S. senators.

The newly elected state lawmakers met in Huntsville from October 25 to December 17, 1819, to start setting up the state government and passing the first Alabama laws.

Alabama Joined the Union as the 22nd State

President Monroe signed the official papers on December 14, 1819, making Alabama the 22nd state in the Union.

Alabama’s addition kept the balance between slave and free states at 11 each, an important political consideration at the time. The 1819 Constitution served Alabama until 1861 when secession required a new document.

Governor Bibb took office on November 9, 1819, and began building Alabama’s government structure from scratch.

Visiting Constitution Village, Alabama

Constitution Village at 109 Gates Ave SE in Huntsville shows you where Alabama’s first constitution came together in 1819.

You can take guided tours Thursday through Saturday at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm to see the authentic Ramage printing press where John Boardman printed the constitution.

The village has a working blacksmith shop with demonstrations and the Neal House with 1819 family furnishings. Park grounds are open daily except January and February.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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