"We are not to consider ourselves, while here, as at church or school, to listen to the harangues of speculative piety; we are here to talk of the political interests committed to our charge."
--Fisher Ames, speech in the United States House of Representatives, 1789
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Press Release: Florida Secession Convention Reenactment Saturday, January 8, 2011
Contact: Phil Walters 813-220-6854
The Old 1845 Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida
Citizens for an accurate portrayal of History will be hosting a reenactment of Florida's 1861 Secession Convention in the Old Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee. The event's script is based on the actual dialog of the delegates that attended the Convention in 1861 when they assembled & voted for Florida to sever it's bonds with the United States and form an independent nation. The participants will be dressed in period attire and will portray folks as Joseph Finegan, an Irish immigrant who later rose to the rank of general, John Milton the newly elected Governor of Florida who at the war's end took his life and James L. G. Baker, a Unionist delegate representing Jackson County, just to name a few.
"This is not a politically slanted event. It is a reenactment of what our ancestors actually did in 1861 leading up to the War between the States," says Phil Walters, a history buff and participant in the event. "We wish to bring excitement to history during the Sesquicentennial of the War between the States as most citizens are not aware of the dynamics that preceded that turbulent period of American history. Folks need to take a little time and attempt to comprehend the complexities of issues of history if we as a people are to learn from past mistakes and not repeat them." Walters added.
A rehearsal will be conducted at 2 pm Friday, January 7, at the Old Capitol. The reenactment will commence at 1 pm on Saturday at the same location. Media is invited to attend.
For information on the history of the Succession Convention:
For information on the 1845 Old Florida Capitol:
