Joseph Marion Hernández 1788–1857

H former members 1822–1898 H Joseph Marion Hernández 1788–1857 TERRITORIAL DELEGATE 1822–1823 JEFFERSONIAN REPUBLICAN FROM FLORIDA oseph Hernández, the first Hispanic Member of War (1756–1763). At that time, the Florida peninsula Congress and the first Territorial Delegate to represent was divided between East and West Florida.3 One JFlorida, bridged his state’s cultural and governmental historian describes Spanish East Florida as a “province transition from Spanish colony to U.S. territory. Hernández virtually devoid of people, a place rich in land but poor fought first for Spain and later for the United States; he in inhabitants.” By 1811 the population numbered barely also earned—and lost—a fortune that included three 4,000. St. Augustine and Fernandina, both coastal ports, plantations and numerous slaves. His complex life and were its only urban centers. The remainder of East Florida career as a slave-owning, Indian-fighting politician cut was “a scattering of forts, cotton and rice plantations, from Jacksonian cloth embodied conflicting attitudes citrus groves, farms, cattle-ranching operations, sawmills, toward statehood, representation, and territorial conquest. and lumber camps.” Many of the colonial properties were Though brief, his service to the territory set an effective nestled along the St. Marys, Nassau, and St. Johns Rivers. precedent, prompting the Washington City Gazette to The area’s major landmarks were military installations declare, a “compliment is due to the zeal and industry that guarded important routes on the rivers. East Florida of the honourable delegate from Florida, who during society was a “small, somewhat self-contained world, one the session, appeared at all times attentive to the objects in which Spanish officials had to carefully balance Crown connected with the prosperity of his constituents and the prerogatives against local needs and … defend Spanish interests of the Territory.”1 interests with limited resources. Political life revolved José Mariano Hernández was born on May 26, 1788, entirely around the governor in his dealings with various in St. Augustine, Spanish Florida. He was the third of 10 factions of settlers.” As a result of East Florida’s physical children and the first son of Martín Hernández, Jr., and isolation, small tax base, and limited funding from the Dorotea Gomila, immigrants from the island of Minorca. Spanish government, local officials sought regional trade The Hernándezes settled in St. Augustine in 1784, living opportunities. In the 1790s, East Florida increased its in the northern section of the city, dubbed the Minorcan trade with neighbors such as Mexico, Cuba, and the Quarter. Local residents earned their livelihoods by United States. However, territorial ambitions, economic farming, fishing, and making handcrafts. Although the competition, and distinct cultural differences between Hernándezes were not among St. Augustine’s elite families, East Florida and its northern neighbors in Georgia and Martín Hernández was a skilled laborer and a slave the Mississippi Territory poisoned their relations and owner, indicating that the family had some wealth. José plunged the region into armed conflict. In 1790 the king Hernández attended local schools run by Catholic priests of Spain spurred increased settlement—and possible and worked with his father in carpentry. As an adolescent, conflicts—by offering homestead grants to U.S. citizens. he was educated in Savannah, Georgia, and Havana, Cuba. A variety of factors stirred tensions between the settlers He returned to East Florida in 1811 after studying law, in Georgia and those in Florida. Economic competition most likely in Cuba.2 played a major role. Both groups of settlers jockeyed for During the Second Spanish Period (1783–1821), Spain influence with the Florida Indians, who controlled regained territory lost to the British in the Seven Years’ lucrative trade markets and were potentially a significant 70 H HISPANIC AMERicans IN CONGRESS Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Joseph Marion Hernández 1788–1857 TERRITORIAL DELEGATE 1822–1823 JEFFERSONIAN REPUBLICAN FROM FLORIDA H joseph marion hernández H force in an armed conflict. Also, much of the commerce in 1812. The Madison administration supported the Patriots the Southern United States was based on access to rivers, as a low-risk effort to foment instability in East Florida many of which emptied into the Gulf of Mexico through that could be used as a pretext for seizing new land and the Floridas. Furthermore, control of the Floridas was stopping British incursion into the region. However, a security issue because foreign powers could encroach when President Madison later withdrew his support, the into the Deep South by using the Florida route. Cultural initiative became a bloody, destructive war that lasted conflicts deriving from differences in religious background two more years. After returning to Florida, Hernández (U.S. Protestants vs. Spanish Catholics) and great-power volunteered to join the Spanish military to defend the alliance (Spain was an ally of Great Britain, and memories territory against U.S. expansionists.6 of the American Revolution were still fresh) further In February 1814, Hernández married Ana Hill divided the two groups. But their attitudes toward slavery Williams, a wealthy widow who lived in St. Augustine. drove the largest wedge between them. First, many of the Ana had at least nine children from her first marriage, conflicts regarding slavery developed from the differences including Guillermo, José Mariano Tomas, Eliza Ana, José between the black-white framework of Anglo-American Sam Gil, Juan Theofilio, Ana Teresa, Martín, Dorotea, and jurisprudence and the more permeable three-race structure Louisa. Ana owned properties—among them, a 3,200-acre of Hispanic societies. Second, U.S. slaveholders were aware sugar cane plantation called Orange Grove—that allowed that Florida was a close haven for fugitive slaves, who could Hernández to become a prominent planter. Hernández blend into Spanish or Seminole communities with relative also acquired a number of profitable land grants during the ease. Third, the use of armed black soldiers in the Florida Patriot War. militia alarmed U.S. slaveholders, who feared possible slave In 1817 the First Seminole War erupted in the West revolts. Underlying all this was the lack of a clear governing Florida province. In January 1818 Andrew Jackson led a authority, which encouraged violent acts of retribution. force of 4,800 men into the Spanish Floridas, seizing a fort After 1790, neither the U.S. nor the Spanish authorities and destroying Seminole settlements along the way. The could effectively control border conflicts.4 campaign concluded in May 1818 with the formal cession For the next two decades, U.S. encroachment into of West Florida to the United States. Secretary of State East Florida, though sporadic, was sanctioned by two John Quincy Adams and Spanish Ambassador Luis de presidential administrations. President Thomas Jefferson Onís negotiated and signed a treaty of cession on February and his Secretary of State, James Madison, sought to 22, 1819. After two years of diplomatic wrangling, expand U.S. territory to the south and west of the original the treaty was approved by the Senate on February 22, 13 colonies. Both men particularly coveted the Louisiana 1821. Although Hernández’s role in the war remains territory and the Floridas. After the Louisiana Purchase in ambiguous, it is clear that he benefited from the conflict by 1803, Jefferson and Madison pressured Spain to cede the receiving more land grants from the Spanish government.7 Floridas through a combination of economic inducement, Ultimately, with the land that he purchased or inherited military force, and slow advancement by U.S. settlers.5 by marriage and the massive holdings he received as service The outbreak of what is known as the Patriot War grants from the Spanish crown, Hernández controlled developed out of U.S. settlers’ resentment toward the 25,670 acres at the time of the U.S. annexation.8 Spanish government and their wanton desire to annex Rather than fleeing with other Spanish settlers to Cuba, the territory for the United States. In March 1812, a Mexico, or Texas, Hernández chose to stay and work with group of self-proclaimed “Patriots” led by U.S. general the new regime, changing his name from José Mariano George Mathews occupied the town of Fernandina and to Joseph Marion. Hernández became friendly with the laid siege to St. Augustine. They declared victory in July territory’s first civil governor, William Pope DuVal, a 72 H HISPANIC AMERicans IN CONGRESS H joseph marion hernández H Jeffersonian Republican, a former Representative from the House Committee on Public Lands to award “public Kentucky, and an ally of Andrew Jackson’s. In April of lots and houses within the city of Pensacola” to the city 1822, DuVal submitted the names of Hernández and instead of to the U.S. government. The next day, in a letter seven others as delegates to Florida’s first legislative council. to Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Hernández Hernández was also nominated to the brigadier generalship noted, “[It] is to be regreted Sir, that in a Territory so of the East Florida militia. The Florida legislative council recently obtained from a forign Nation, whose Inhabitants selected Hernández to serve as Territorial Delegate, a are yet unacquainted with the System & Laws of Our decision that was confirmed by a three-day election Government, Should have had instances of … open (September 30 to October 2, 1822) in which Hernández Controvercy between its public functionaries” regarding faced no opposition.9 these land claims. Hernández included a memorial from Hernández was sworn into the House on January the St. Augustine city council and his own resolution. 3, 1823.10 As a Hispanic Catholic Representative in a He asked Adams to “lay the enclosed papers before the Congress that was predominantly Anglo-American and President [Monroe], in order … to prevent … interference Protestant, Hernández was entering uncharted territory.

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