British East Florida - The 14th Colony
A New Power In 1763, the Seven Years' War, the firsttruly world war (the French and Indian War as it was Emerges called in America) came to an end. Great Britain (and her American colonies) had won against the combined forces of France and Spain. The armies of Great Britain had conquered Canada and several French-held islands in the Caribbean. They had also stormed and occupied Havana, Cuba. This was Spain's principal seaport and administrative headquarters for much of Spanish America. Spain also lost Manila in the Spanish Philippines, a transshipment point of the wealth of Asia. The Treaty of Paris ending the war left Canada to the English, returned several Caribbean islands to the French, and traded Havana and Manila back to Spain in exchange for the province of Florida. Great Britain now controlled all of North America east of the Mississippi River. At that time, St. Augustine was still a garrison community with fewer than fivehundred houses.
Southern Migration When Florida was officiallytransferred to the To calm Indian unrest on the frontiers,the English, most of the Spanish residents chose to English Crown Proclamation of 1763 outlawed depart for Cuba. This exodus temporarily settlement west of the Appalachians. This depopulated the peninsula, but Florida was on promoted Florida as a new area of British the eve of the greatest population explosion colonization. Colonial pressure for land found since its initial colonization 200 years earlier. a new outlet. Expansion, blocked to the west, moved south.
Prosperity & Hope England had a strong desire to develop Florida There was much to celebrate in English trade. The London Board of Trade advertised Florida. Indian hostilities had for the most part 20,000 acre lots to any group willing to enter ended, and there had been peace in Florida for Florida. The land, however, had to be settled over ten years. The population of St. Augustine within ten years with one resident per 100 nearly doubled fromwhat it was in the Spanish acres. While the Privy Council in London period. New houses were built and old Spanish granted land titles, pioneer families could gain houses were renovated and expanded, most land grants at the two colonial capitals, St. notably with second stories being added Augustine in East Florida and Pensacola in (almost all construction during the Spanish West Florida. occupation was single story). Commerce and trade were growing, including cattle ranching, Former British soldiers were eligible for special shipping, and plantation agriculture. grants. Each pioneer settler was given 100 acres of land and 50 acres per family member. To Despite its youth, the colony was showing recruit Southerners, slavery was allowed. promise of becoming a flourishingand Under the able administration of Governor productive area. But storm clouds were James Grant, 2,856,000 acres were granted in brewing to the north. East Florida.
Rebellion The French & Indian War changed the throughout the war. Its population was newly relationship between the northern colonies and arrived in America and had no history or their mother country. A decade of conflictover experience of the growing democratic culture economic policy and control, beginning with the in the other colonies. Likewise, the colony was Stamp Act crisis in 1765, led to alienation among dependent on English trade with little internal a rapidly growing population (over 2.5 million economic growth of its own. Enraged residents by 1776) which was increasingly of non-British of St. Augustine burned effigiesin the plaza of origin. Florida remained a loyalist stronghold revolutionary leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock. British Stronghold St. Augustine, as the capital of East Florida, the Carolinas and Georgia. St. Augustine and rapidly became a military stronghold and the Fort St. Mark (the renamed Castillo de San central command post foroperations in the Marcos) were used as a supply base and a southern colonies. England decided to utilize prisoner of war camp forcaptured rebels. Florida as a staging area forBritish troops Among these were three of the signers of the assigned to the South. Florida's warm climate Declaration of Independence: Thomas would acclimate British forcesto the American Heyward,Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward heat, and Florida could develop supplies for Rutledge. South Carolina's Lieutenant the British military. The town quickly Governor, Christopher Gadsden, was held in overflowedwith British troops and a growing solitary confinementinside the fort'sjail for42 stream of loyalist refugeesfleeing the fightingin weeks.
East Florida Rangers In addition to the British regular army, Florida Parties of rangers and Indians were continually locals also took up arms against the rebelling employed to patrol the frontiersand drive off colonist. Of all the provincial troops, the East cattle fromGeorgia. Stationed on the frontiers Florida Rangers were the most controversial rather than in town, the rangers detached and active. They were organized in 1776 and constant and successive scouting parties of ultimately consisted of some 130 men, observation, penetrated within fivemiles of organized in fourcompanies and engaged to Savannah, and even passed through the town serve forthree years. The rangers were of Augusta, Georgia. inhabitants of East Florida and refugeesfrom Georgia and the Carolinas. They received their Since they were under the control of the clothing, provisions, and one Shilling a day, but governor and loosely organized, the existence provided their own horses. of the rangers aroused a constant dispute of command between military and civil When the war broke out, the regular garrison authorities. In 1779, the East Florida Rangers troops of St. Augustine were unacquainted with were reorganized and reconstituted into a the wooded terrain of Florida. Rangers were provincial infantryregiment by the name of absolutely necessary forcooperating with the King's Rangers. They were no longer regular troops, supplying the town and considered to be attached to East Florida and garrison with provisions, bringing intelligence might be taken into the King's service. fromthe north, making plundering incursions into Georgia, keeping that province in constant The Rangers used a standard uniformthat alarm, and securing Florida settlements from consisted of hat, hunting shirt, belt, breeches, attacks. Without them, the Indians would have shoes, buckles, blankets, and leggings. After massacred indiscriminately. The regular troops 1779, when they became the King's (Carolina) were neither sufficientnor fitfor ranger work. Rangers, the uniformwas a short green coat, crimson collar and cuffs,and lapels plain green.
Failure & Loss Most of the war took place farnorth of Florida, prospect of staying productive. On September but cross-border raids increased. In 1779, 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed ending Spain took advantage of Britain's the American Revolution. In it Britain preoccupation with the colonies and invaded. recognized the independence of the United By 1781, Britain had lost West Florida to Spain. States. Under separate treaty, England ceded The war's unpopularity and massive expense Florida back to Spanish control in exchange for continued until by 1784, when Britain was the Bahaman Islands. forcedto concede American independence. Although Spain regained Florida, this rule was Having lost control of the majority of its to be short lived. The newly formedUnited colonies, Britain had little interest in keeping States now turned its attention to gaining Florida. Now an isolated outpost, it had little control of and expanding its southern borders.
A New Chapter This war forindependence was a true World Also, Florida was a British colony with no War during the 18th Century. The conflict intent on rebellion. The outcome of the war extended well beyond the thirteen colonies returned this land to Spain with no attempting to separate fromtheir King. France involvement of the newly formed United and Spain had their own interest in mind when States. supporting the rebelling colonials.
A New Nation The peace and respect America had towards disagreements, declining Spanish support, and Spain forhelping during the rebellion only financialdeals-lead Spain to sign Florida over lasted so long. Events over the next forty to the United States with the Adams-Onis years-unsanctioned land conquest, territorial Treaty in 1821.
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