BIO

My name is Andrew Jones and I am from Ligthouse Point, Florida, a small town in Broward County. I am interested in researching politics, history, and law. My career goals are attending law school and becoming an attorney.

Governor Nullifies Election: A Study of Florida’s 1831 Congressional Delegate Race

Abstract

This project focuses on a political rivalry in early Tallahassee between William Pope Duval (Governor, 1822-1834)  and Joseph Mills White (Congressional Delegate, 1825-1837). While conducted in Florida, this feud is reflective of a national rivalry because of Duval’s association with Andrew Jackson (President, 1829-1837) and White’s association with John Quincy Adams (President, 1825-1829). The White-Duval feud culminated in the election of 1831, where Duval nullified the U.S. Congressional Delegate election  that White had won. This project analyzes the results of the election and its coverage in newspapers at the time. There were various vote totals reported that differed and the press and public were unsure of the results until a month after the election. This election gives us insight into Florida’s electoral process and shows how Florida had election controversies with national implications, even before its statehood.

Keywords: history, Florida, politics, election