1. THE 1901 ALABAMA CONSTITUTION
THE WORLD’S LONGEST LEGAL DOCUMENT

2. EARLY ALABAMA CONSTITUTIONS
DOCUMENT REFLECTED NEW DEMOCRACTIC SPIRIT.
1861 CONSTITUTION TOOK ALABAMA OUT OF THE UNION.
1865 DOCUMENT ATTEMPTED TO REJOIN THE UNION.
1868 CONSTITUTION WAS PRODUCT OF RECONSTRUCTION.
1875 CONSTITUTION WAS A REACTION TO NEGATIVE IMPACT OF PREVIOUS DOCUMENT.

3. 1901 CONSTITUTION CONVENTION
155 delegates - all white and all male.
Controlled by a coalition of big planters and industrialists.
Elected John B. Knox of Anniston as President.

4. John B. Knox, President of 1901 Convention
“But if we would have white supremacy, we must establish it by law.”

5. THE TWO PRIMARY GOALS OF THE FRAMERS
Strip blacks (and poor whites) of all political power.
Limit the power of government.
Preserve low taxes on property.
Limit government regulation of business.
Concentrate political power in Montgomery (No Home Rule).

6. EFFECTS OF THE 1901 CONSTITUTION
Gutted democracy through disfranchisement.
Prohibited economic development.
Did not provide for home rule by counties.
Left Alabama poorly equipped for the 20th Century.

7. VOTER TURNOUT & DISENFRANCHISEMENT
In 1900 there were 181,000 registered African American male voters in Alabama. In 1903 there were fewer than 5,000.
In the first election after enactment of the Constitution, overall voter turnout declined by 38% (white turnout by 19% and black turnout by 96%).

8. 1901 CONSTITUTION FACTS
The Alabama Constitution is about 40 times as long as the United States Constitution.
The Alabama Constitution is over 12 times as long as the typical state constitution.
The Alabama Constitution concentrated power in the Legislature.
As of 2011 there were 827 Amendments.
70% of the Amendments pertain to one city or county. (Taxes, Development, Structure, Salaries, Fees, Etc.)

9. AMENDMENTS TO THE 1901 ALABAMA CONSTITUTION
502 Allows a Morgan County Sherriff’s Posse.
351 Mosquito and rodent control in Mobile County.
482 Right to dispose of dead farm animals in Lauderdale County.

10. AMENDMENTS TO THE 1901 ALABAMA CONSTITUTION
497 Prohibition of overgrowth of weeds and storage and accumulation of certain junk, motor vehicles and litter in Jefferson County.
520 Excavation of human graves in Madison County.
34 Tax for malaria control in Limestone County.

11. CALLED REFORM & CONVENTIONS
Gov. Emmet O’Neal (1914)
Gov. Thomas Kilby (1923)
Gov. Jim Folsom ( & )
Gov. Albert Brewer ( )
Gov. Fob James (1979)
Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley (1983)
Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform (2000)

12. MAJOR ISSUES WITH THE 1901 ALABAMA CONSTITUTION
Ineffective Government
Lack of Local Democracy
Revenue Crises

13. WAYS TO FIX THE CONSTITUTION
CONVENTION
ARTICLE BY ARTICLE
Legislature has to call the convention and voters must agree to the call.
Legislature also decides how delegates will be elected and when.
Any new constitution must be submitted to voters for ratification.
Legislature may amend the constitution one article at a time, with the voters’ permission.
The Legislature may not submit an entire document to the voters.
The Legislature may submit more than one article at a time.
Gov. Bob Riley approved this method of reform