In the first letter, written to Parker, Parkin discusses the growth of the Alabama Territory and its pending statehood: "We are so completely at the jumping off place of this world that we have nothing passing here that can interest any one at a...
The constitution includes articles on the following subjects: preamble; declaration of rights; distribution of powers; legislative department; executive department; militia; judicial department; education; impeachment; taxation; and slavery. The...
In his address Cobb insists that the slavery question, the central issue influencing the pending secession of the South, was not answered by the recent presidential election: "But gentlemen say they cannot do anything. They say that the edict went...
Yancey discusses his withdrawal from the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore; the main points of the Wilmot Proviso, which sought to prevent the introduction of slavery into any territory acquired from Mexico; and the "permanent evil" to be...
The committee was composed of seven men: Henry Semple, William Lowndes Yancey, S. Heydenfeldt, John A. Campbell, N. Harris, John A. Elmore, and Thomas S. Mays. In the letter they discuss the recent nomination of Lewis Cass as the Democratic...
The first item is a letter from Senator Buford, in which he discusses sectional division over the issues of territorial expansion and slavery; he suggests a convention of the Southern states to address the "impending results of the northern...
In the letters, Hall's son and wife discuss family illness, weather, crops, livestock, and slaves on their plantation. Mary also mentions her husband's possible attendance at the convention of delegates from proslavery states in Nashville,...
In the letter Moore discusses public sentiment over states' rights violations by the United States Congress: "I trust that public meetings throughout the state, will be held, for the purpose of enlightening the masses, and causing them to...
In the letter Samford discusses his views on the proposed Kansas-Nebraska Act: "I see our North. friends are not slow to come up to the issue of non-intervention as made by the Kansas Act; but are we quite cautious enough about the Squatter...
In the statement the delegates list the main points of the Alabama Platform, which had been rejected by the convention, and then formally withdraw from the gathering: "The points of difference between the Northern and Southern Democracy are: 1st....
This assembly of the Alabama Democrats plans to send delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore, despite the withdrawal of the state's delegation from the earlier meeting in Charleston: "There is a vacancy in the Delegation of...
These records consist of ordinances, resolutions, committee reports, and correspondence from January through March of 1861. The material documents the secession convention held in Montgomery, Alabama, which established Alabama as an independent...
In the first letter, written from the Exchange Hotel on January 10, 1861, Mitchell describes the tension and excitement in the city as they wait for the official declaration of Alabama's secession: "There seems to be no doubt, you may tell your...
This article discusses the likeliness that Alabama will secede from the Union: "A large majority of the members of our Convention will not hesitate a moment to co-operate with South Carolina, Florida and Mississippi in the formation of a Southern...
Letter from L. W. Garrott and Robert H. Smith of Alabama, to the governor and legislature of North Carolina. Garrott and Smith explain that because of the recent election of a Republican president, the governor of Alabama has called for a...
Bragg wrote this letter while representing Mobile County at the Alabama constitutional convention of 1861 (also known as the Secession Convention). In the letter Bragg discusses events at the assembly, including McRae's election as a delegate to...
The constitutional convention of 1865 met from September 12 to 30 to restore Alabama to the Union. These records consist of ordinances and resolutions passed during the gathering.
The constitution includes articles on the following subjects: declaration of rights; state boundaries and counties; distribution of powers of government; legislative department; executive department; judicial department; state and county officers;...
In the letter to Semmes protests his arrest on December 15 and asks Grant to present the matter before the president. He claims the arrest is a violation of the parole he was granted after his surrender ("solemn military capitulation") at the end...
The constitutional convention of 1867 met from October to December; it was held as a result of the Reconstruction Act of 1867, which made Alabama part of the Third Military District under General John Pope. These records consist of ordinances and...