Constitution of the State of Sequoyah

Constitution of the State of Sequoyah

In 1905, delegates from across Indian Territory met to draft a constitution for the proposed State of Sequoyah, incorporating the land of the Five Civilized Tribes and the Quapaw Agency. Many of the leaders in this constitutional convention, including Charles Haskell and Alfalfa Bill Murray, would go on to lead the drafting of Oklahoma's constitution soon thereafter, producing a strong resemblance between the two documents in length and subject matter.

One interesting aspect: The Sequoyah Constitution forbids the government from funding religious organizations, but it also invokes "the blessing of Almighty God" in the preamble, mandates that "Sunday[] shall forever be respected as a day of rest" and forbids public office to anyone "who denies the existence of a Supreme Being."