Huntsville Constitutional Convention of 1819

The Huntsville Constitutional Convention met in the summer of 1819 and produced Alabama‘s first constitution [1][2]. Forty-four delegates gathered in the town, then the temporary seat of government, with John Williams Walker as president and Clement Comer Clay chairing the committee that wrote the first draft. The document was modeled on Mississippi’s constitution. The site is now remembered at Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park and Museum.

Background

Rapid settlement during Alabama fever pushed the population far above the threshold for statehood, and Congress authorized Alabama to form a state government in 1819. The Alabama Territory, created in 1817, had been governed from St. Stephens, but Huntsville, in the Tennessee Valley, was the largest town and hosted the convention [1][3].

The convention

With the town crowded, a local cabinet shop was likely the only building large enough to hold the delegates. The two-story frame building, now called Constitution Hall, hosted 44 delegates who organized Alabama as the 22nd state. Clement Comer Clay chaired the 15-member committee that wrote the first draft, and in fall 1819 he became the first chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Delegates debated, wrote and ratified the constitution, which was completed on August 2, 1819 [1][2].

The constitution

The 1819 constitution followed the model of Mississippi’s. It limited governors to two consecutive two-year terms, let the legislature override vetoes by a simple majority and empowered the legislature to choose a permanent capital in 1825. It was amended in 1830, 1846 and 1850 and replaced in 1861. See William Wyatt Bibb for the first governor who served under it [2][3].

Printing the document

John Boardman’s newspaper, the Alabama Republican, printed the convention’s official journal and, on August 3, 1819, issued the first complete printing of the new constitution. His press also printed laws passed by the first legislative assembly in Huntsville, the temporary capital [1].

Huntsville as temporary capital

Huntsville served as the temporary seat of government while the permanent capital was prepared at Cahawba. The state’s sequence of seats is covered in Capitals of Alabama [1].

Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park

The park in downtown Huntsville commemorates the convention and shows daily life in the Federal Period. It has 16 structures representing 1805 to 1819, five of them major buildings, and is part of EarlyWorks Museums. In 1968 the Huntsville Madison County Historical Society began researching the convention’s location ahead of the state’s sesquicentennial, and archaeologists uncovered the original foundations. The site was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage in October 1975 and opened as a museum village in May 1982. On June 1, 2019, the park reenacted President James Monroe’s visit to the convention as part of the state bicentennial [1].

Why it matters

The convention created the framework of Alabama’s government at its birth. Its provisions on terms, vetoes and the capital shaped the early years described in Alabama [1][2].

FAQs

When did the convention meet? In the summer of 1819, finishing on August 2.

How many delegates attended? Forty-four.

Who presided? John Williams Walker.

Who chaired the drafting committee? Clement Comer Clay.

Where can I learn more? Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park and Museum in Huntsville.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park and Museum
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Alabama Constitution of 1819
3. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Territorial Period and Early Statehood

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue