1836 - The United States Congress was petitioned today for land grants to fund the creation of seminaries in East and West Florida. As early as 1823 the newly established Florida legislature began to plan a system of institutions of higher learning in the sparsely populated U.S. territory. The 1838 Constitution provided language guaranteeing the establishment and appropriation of land for seminaries in Florida. It was not until the 1850s however that the State of Florida officially created the East and West Florida seminaries, early precursors to the University of Florida and The Florida State University.