Florida: Revolution to StatehoodFlorida Under the Brits (1764-1783)As a result of the French and Indian war, the British gained Florida from Spain. Florida at this time only stretched to the Mississippi River. The Spanish ruled this as one province, but the British decided to split it into two districts, East and West Florida.It was also a social divisionPeople in East Florida thought they were better than those in West Florida.All of the Native Americans in Florida were dead, killed by disease and war. 90% of all Spaniards that were in Florida left, because they didn’t want to live under British occupation. The British now have the opportunity to populate Florida with their own people.Most British colonists after the French and Indian war have choices to go to Pennsylvania, New York, etc. Nobody wanted to go to Florida.Andrew Turnbull was a Scottish Doctor. He got the idea that Florida was going to be a great place to grow citrus. He believed that it had the same climate as the Mediterranean.Decides to build a plantation, and builds on a site south of St. Augustine called New Smyrna.He didn’t believe in slavery. Plantations would flourish better under those who have experience like those from Minorca (Caribbean). He recruits them to come to Florida to work on the plantation.This was the largest single immigrant group.The Minorcans began dying from diseases, and they all leave New Smyrna and go to St. Augustine.New Smyrna collapsed, but Turnbull thought that citrus would still be Florida’s saving grace.Florida in the RevolutionFlorida didn’t have any revolutionary battle fields. When the Revolutionary war broke out, a lot of loyalists from New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, left their homes to flee to safety in Florida. The British kept a lot of troops in Florida. There isn’t any fighting between the Americans and British in Florida. Except the Spanish become involved after the French, and began to invade Florida in Pensacola.The Spanish surrounded the British in a fort in Pensacola.Except a British soldier lit a match and it dropped on gun powder. The entire fort collapsed and the Spanish took Pensacola, and later received Florida back from the British in 1783.Second Spanish Period: lasts from 1783 to 1821. The Spanish by this time are no longer a power in Europe. They were bankrupt and all royalty were inbred. They could barely maintain troops in Florida, and no Spanish colonists wanted to go there.There is no economic benefit from Florida whatsoever.The Seminoles were a mix of every Indian tribe that came to Florida. Seminole meaning “wild men”.These Indians were from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and runaway slave groups.In 1818 the Seminoles begin attacking American settlers in Georgia and raiding their farms. They would escape back into Florida where they couldn’t be harmed.Andrew Jackson is told to invade Florida to take care of the Indians. James Monroe tells him not to worry about causing problems, and that he will be protected.He invades Florida, marches to St. Marks, and took over the Spanish fort and took all Spanish troops prisoner. He began destroying Seminole villages, and found two British officers among the Seminoles and hung them both.He made a mistake by harming both the Spanish and British, its an international incident.The Spanish now realize that they are too weak to hold on to Florida. They begin telling the US they’re selling Florida. Andrew Jackson is kicked out of the army.Florida TerritoryThe Spanish sells Florida in 1819 to the US, and it officially becomes a part of the US in 1821. The Spanish receive 9 million dollars for Florida.Andrew Jackson is the first governor of Florida territory. Since Florida was so large, they decided to have two capitals following the East and West tradition. One in Pensacola and one in St. Augustine.The only way to get to Pensacola for meetings from St. Augustine is by ship. There were two deadly shipwrecks, and so they decided to find some place halfway between the two places where they could meet. Tallahassee becomes the capital.Florida has never been one political entity, filled with different groups of people throughout the different territories. They began urging East Florida to become their own state.St. Augustine could become capital again, and East Florida could separate themselves from those in West Florida. West Florida wanted to be a part of Alabama.If this were to happen, suddenly you have 4 more senators in congress that can vote for slave legislation.There are many different groups trying to compete for power. Areas around Tallahassee became “Middle Florida”, and were good areas for cotton plantations. Then there were a bunch of rich plantation owners that were looking for power.Second Seminole Indian War (1835-1842)Cotton and Sugar plantations were taking off, and Florida began to prosper. This war happens become of the Indian Removal Bill. Andrew Jackson wants the Seminoles removed from Florida, however, they were told in the 1820s by the US that they could stay in Florida forever.The Seminoles want to fight against the US army when they come to remove the Indians. Chief Osceola (“Black Drink”) was a war party leader. Osceola decided to create a large war, and he ambushed a group of US soldiers. Right after Christmas, they ambushed and killed over 100 US soldiers known as Dade’s Massacre.This was the largest Indian victory in a hundred years. Between 1835 and 1842 more than 50,000 troops and volunteers came into Florida to defeat the Seminoles. This caused the US lots of money.Osceola was really named Billy Powell. He was captured in 1836 when the US army tricks him into coming to their Peace Talk. Osceola was placed in jail in St. Augustine, and moved to South Carolina jail. He dies of pneumonia.The doctor cut off Osceola’s head.The US army began to burn the Seminole’s crops. A lot of Seminoles turned themselves in to the American government, and 200 others escaped down to the Everglades where they were free of the Indian Removal Act.The US leaves the Indians in South Florida alone. The war ended when they realized these Indians weren’t a threat.Florida in 1845 and the West Florida SeminaryFlorida becomes a state to gain federal money in 1845. In 1851, the state decides to establish the West Florida Seminary and the East Florida Seminary.The West Florida Seminary was based in Tallahassee, and was the military school.Then became the Florida State College of
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