First Illinois Constitutional Convention
The 33 delegates elected from Illinois' 15 counties met in a tavern in Kaskaskia, the territorial capital on the first Monday in August 1818.
On December 2, 1817, the territorial legislature appointed a committee to draft a "memorial to congress" seeking admission of Illinois as a state.
[3] On New Year's Day 1818, Edwards vetoed legislation that would have repealed the Illinois Territory's indenture laws.
This episode brought the issues of slavery and the veto power to the forefront of the territory's political conversation leading up to the convention.
[5] The statehood bill, which was signed into law by President Monroe on April 18, 1818,[6] required that Illinois reach a population of at least 40,000.
Census takers appointed by the governor had enumerated only 34,620 people by the territory's self-imposed deadline of June 1.
[7] On the theory that the population would rise later in the year, the returns were kept open, and by the convention a reported total of 40,258 was reached.
John Mason Peck, who passed through Kaskaskia during the convention, reported that "every room" in the tavern was occupied, and "every bed had two or more lodgers.
(The number was so inflated that it was greater than the amount found by the federal census in 1820, and included even some residents of Wisconsin.
[27] Robert Blackwell and Elijah C. Berry of the Illinois Intelligencer were given the responsibility of printing the journal of the convention.
This sole remaining copy is missing the last few pages, so the details of the proceedings for the final days of the convention are unknown.
[12] Certain provisions such as the veto system involving a Council of Revision, were borrowed from the New York state constitution, likely reflecting Elias Kane's influence.
The sites considered for the capital included Kaskaskia, Covington, Pope's Bluff, Hill's Ferry, and Vandalia.
[28] At the conclusion of the convention on August 26, 1818, the first Illinois Constitution was adopted and submitted to the United States Congress for approval.
As a result of the successful completion of a constitution acceptable to Congress, Illinois was admitted to the union on December 3, 1818.
