Guide to African American Resources in the State Library and Archives of Florida

State Government Records: Legislative and Judicial Branches

The following series document the activities and organizations under the Florida House of Representatives and Senate (Legislative) as well as the Supreme Court and lower courts (Judicial). Legislative records cover nearly all possible subjects related to Florida and the concerns of Florida citizens, including race relations, social movements, desegregation and integration, distribution of public resources and countless others. Judicial records largely comprise legal cases and their associated materials, which include, among other topics, cases relating to slavery, the rights and treatment of freed people of color, division of property and businesses, land disputes, civil disputes and discrimination.

The list of series below includes a sampling of those available in the State Archives and is not a complete representation of our holdings within these record groups.

Julian Bond listening with others as Phillip Agnew speaks during rally at the Capitol in Tallahassee. (State Archives of Florida / DG01463)

RG 900 Legislature, Senate, Committees

This record group contains the records of each Senate committee including, but not limited to, agendas, meeting files, bill files and subject files. The Senate committees discuss and solve specific legislative concerns within designated fields of interest, such as Agriculture and Education. The Senate President names committee chairs and members. These records cover a wide range of topics that may be relevant to the experiences of Black Floridians and are best utilized by first determining the appropriate committee and date range for the research topic. For committee records of the House of Representatives, see Record Group 920. For records of joint House and Senate committees, see Record Group 940.

RG 910 Territorial Legislative Council

S876

Unicameral Period Records, 1822-1838

3.75 cubic feet

The first Legislative Council was organized by President James Monroe and the United States Congress in March 1822. This series includes bills, records of the proceedings, depositions, special reports, petitions, memorials and vouchers. These records are incomplete in their documentation of the activities of the council; however, a complete account of the session activities is available in the official published journals.

S877

Bicameral Period Records, 1839-1845

4 cubic feet

The Territorial Legislative Council of Florida was reorganized from one legislative body into two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate, in 1838. This series includes bills, records of the proceedings, depositions, special reports, petitions, memorials and vouchers. These records are incomplete in their documentation of the activities of the council; however, a complete account of the session activities is available in the official published journals.

S1240

Journal, 1831-1836

1 volume

This series contains a journal of the proceedings of the Territorial Legislative Council from 1831 to 1836. The journal includes transcriptions of floor debates, motions, petitions, resolutions, proposed bills and other business conducted by the unicameral body. This is the only known existing original journal of the council.

RG 915 Legislature

S887

Records, 1845-1911

10 cubic feet

This series documents the activities of the House of Representatives, the Senate and the General Assembly. Records in this series discuss the Florida and Georgia boundary dispute, the Secession Convention, Governor Harrison Reed’s impeachment investigation and the governors’ messages to the Florida Legislature. Record types include correspondence, bills, resolutions, committee reports and petitions.

RG 920 Legislature, House of Representatives, Committees

This record group contains the records of each House of Representatives committee including, but not limited to, agendas, meeting files, bill files and subject files. The House committees discuss and solve specific legislative concerns within designated fields of interest, such as Appropriations and Military Affairs. The Speaker of the House designates committee chairs and members. These records cover a wide range of topics that may be relevant to the experiences of Black Floridians and are best utilized by first determining the appropriate committee and date range for the subject being researched. For committee records of the Senate, see Record Group 900. For records of joint House and Senate committees, see Record Group 940.

RG 940 Joint Legislative Committees

S20

Special Legislative Committee Files, 1959-2010, 2012-2019

144.75 cubic feet, 6 compact discs, 27 DVDs

This series contains minutes, correspondence, summary reports, studies and journals documenting the work of joint, select and special committees. These records cover a wide range of topics that may be relevant to the experiences of Black Floridians and are best utilized by first determining the appropriate committee and date range for the subject being researched. Records of standing House and Senate committees will likely be of interest as well.

S1486

Florida Legislative Investigation Committee

Records, 1954-1965

19 cubic feet

This series contains administrative files, correspondence, transcripts of testimony, information relating to various organizations under investigation, court cases, newspaper clippings and publications created or compiled by the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee, commonly referred to as the Johns Committee. The committee’s original mandate was to “investigate all organizations whose principles or activities include a course of conduct on the part of any person or group which would constitute violence, or a violation of the laws of the state, or would be inimical to the well-being and orderly pursuit of their personal business activities by the majority of the citizens of this state.” The records reflect the committee’s early intent to investigate communist and subversive organization activity, especially within Florida’s state university system, and its later shift in the focus of its investigations to homosexuality. Records include information regarding race relations, the civil rights movement, student peace movements and anti-Castro organizations.

RG 1100 Supreme Court

S49

Case Files, 1825-2013

5,269 cubic feet

This series contains the closed case files of the Supreme Court of Florida and the earlier Territorial Court of Appeals in which an opinion was issued, including Florida Bar cases. Records filed electronically with the Supreme Court after February 26, 2013, are maintained by the Supreme Court and are not included in these case files. Some cases within this series pertain to slavery cases, property disputes, wrongful death cases, discrimination, and segregation as well as other issues of relevance to the experiences of Black Floridians. A few examples include, but are not limited to, Montgomery v. State, 1908 – which concerned Black defendants not being allowed other Blacks to serve as jurors in their trial; and Hawkins v. Board of Control of Florida – which involved Virgil Hawkins’ denied admission to the University of Florida Law School on the basis of race.

S1256

Mandatory Review Death Penalty Case Files, 1873-2016

4,016.5 cubic feet

11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge Joseph Hatchett being honored during a ceremony in Tallahassee, Florida. (State Archives of Florida / SC00136)

This series documents criminal appeals for cases involving capital punishment sentences. Records include briefs, motions and other legal instruments; trial transcripts; and the final orders of the court.

RG 1110 Territorial Court of Appeals

S73

Case Files, 1825-1846

8.5 cubic feet, 10 microfilm reels

This series contains the records presented to the court at the time of appeal and records of decisions rendered in the case. The court did not hear all cases, and there are several cases heard by the court for which no documentation exists in the series.

S985

Minutes, 1825-1845

1 microfilm reel

This series contains a microfilm copy of the court minutes documenting the proceedings and actions taken by the court.