Subject: Seminole War, 1835-1842

This document is a printed memorial from the Constitutional Convention of Florida (January 1839) to the U.S. Congress, requesting statehood. It includes the proposed Florida Constitution, signed by the convention members, and the 1838 census of Florida Territory, showing a total population of 48,223, with approximately half being enslaved people. The memorial highlights difficulties in conducting an accurate census due to the ongoing Seminole War and references the 1819 Treaty with Spain regarding Florida's acquisition by the U.S. Among the signatories is David Levy (later Yulee), Florida's first Jewish U.S. Senator. The item is a 28-page document, measuring approximately 5-1/2" x 8-3/4", bearing the imprint of the U.S. House of Representatives (Doc. No. 208, 25th Congress, 3rd Session). Printed by Thomas Allen. Neatly disbound; in very fine condition.

This book, published in Charleston in 1836, provides a firsthand account of the Seminole Wars by Myer M. Cohen, a lawyer and South Carolina legislator who served as an officer in the South Carolina volunteers. The book includes a frontispiece portrait of Osceola, considered the first published portrait based on life, and a folding map of Florida. Cohen's narrative details events at St. Augustine, Camp McCrea, Volusia, Tampa, Peas Creek, and Charlotte Harbor, offering insights into the campaign's eventual failure and providing information on Florida and its native population. The book is considered a valuable source for names of plantations, their owners, and participants in the campaign.