East Florida facts for kids

Quick facts for kids East Florida
1763–1822
Left: Red Ensign of Great Britain Right: Flag of the Spanish Empire
Status	Colony of Great Britain (1763–1783) Colony of Spanish Empire within the Viceroyalty of New Spain (1783–1821) Provisional military government of the United States (1821–1822)
Capital	St. Augustine
Governor
• 1763–1784	5 under Britain
• 1784–1821	8 under Spain
• 1821	1 U.S. military commissioner
History
• Treaty of Paris	10 February, 1763
• Transferred to Spain	25 November 1783
• Adams–Onís Treaty	1821
• Merged into Territory of Florida	30 March, 1822
Preceded by Succeeded by Spanish Florida Territory of Florida

East Florida (in Spanish: Florida Oriental) was a land area in North America. It was a colony of Great Britain from 1763 to 1783. After that, it became a part of the Spanish Empire until 1821.

Britain took control of Spanish Florida in 1763. This happened after the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Seven Years' War. British leaders thought the colony was too big to manage as one piece. So, they split Florida into two parts: East Florida and West Florida. The Apalachicola River was the border between them.

East Florida was the larger part. Its capital city was St. Augustine. Most people in Spanish Florida lived there. But when Britain took over, almost everyone, especially in St. Augustine, left. Many moved to Cuba.

Britain tried to get new settlers to come to East and West Florida. But not many people moved there. During the American Revolutionary War, these colonies stayed loyal to Britain. They did not join the other thirteen colonies in fighting for independence.

In 1783, Britain signed another treaty. This treaty recognized the United States as an independent country. As part of this deal, Britain gave both Floridas back to Spain. Spain kept them as separate colonies. They also moved the border between East and West Florida east to the Suwannee River.

By the early 1800s, Spain was not very interested in or able to protect Florida. American settlers started moving into the area without permission. This caused problems with the Seminoles. The Seminoles were a new Native American group. They were formed by people who had moved from the American Southeast.

During the War of 1812, the American military entered Florida. They took over West Florida. East Florida stayed under Spanish control. In 1812, some American settlers from Georgia, called the "Patriots," tried to take over East Florida. They created the short-lived Republic of East Florida at Amelia Island. The U.S. government quietly supported them.

After the War of 1812, arguments continued between the U.S. and the Seminoles in Florida. By 1817, the U.S. had taken over much of Spanish West Florida. This land later became parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. After many arguments and American attacks, Spain gave both Floridas to the U.S. in the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819. The U.S. officially took control in 1821. In 1822, East Florida and the remaining parts of West Florida were combined. They became the Florida Territory. Its borders were very similar to today's state of Florida.

The British Take Over Florida (1763-1783)

This map from 1803 shows East and West Florida. The U.S. claimed some parts of West Florida, which was still controlled by Spain.

In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' War. Spain gave Spanish Florida to Britain. Britain also got all of French Louisiana east of the Mississippi River from France. Only New Orleans was left out.

Britain decided this new land was too big to manage as one area. So, they divided it into two new colonies. These were East Florida and West Florida. The Apalachicola River separated them. East Florida's capital was St. Augustine. West Florida's capital was Pensacola. Most Spanish people left Florida after the treaty. All the people in St. Augustine moved to Cuba.

Britain wanted people to move to East Florida. They offered land to powerful business people in London. One important person was Richard Oswald, a slave trader. Another was General James Grant, who became governor of East Florida. Many rich people got large areas of land.

East Florida stayed loyal to Britain during the American Revolution. It became a safe place for Loyalist refugees. These were people who supported Britain. It was also a haven for enslaved people who escaped from the southern colonies. Several military groups were formed by Loyalists in East Florida.

Spain helped France in the war against Britain. In 1781, Spain captured Pensacola from the British. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris ended the war. Britain gave both Floridas back to Spain. The same treaty also recognized the United States as an independent country.

Who Lived in British East Florida?

During British rule, there were more Black people than white people in East Florida. There were two Black people for every one white person. This was a higher ratio than in other southern British colonies.

White people in Florida often worked in the military. They also worked as overseers, skilled workers, or merchants. There were very few white farmers. Most white residents lived in or near St. Augustine. Some overseers lived in other areas like New Smyrna. Many people from Minorca, who were treated badly in New Smyrna, moved to St. Augustine. They lived in a part of the city called the "Minorcan Quarter."

We don't know the exact population of East Florida before the American Revolution. But it's thought to have been about 3,000 people. This was much more than West Florida, which had only a few hundred residents. Britain tried to get more people to settle in Florida. But many people who got land grants did not actually move there. By 1783, East Florida's population was about 17,000.

After the American Revolution, Britain gave Florida back to Spain. Many Loyalists and British residents did not want to leave. About 10,000 people left, mostly for the Bahamas or West Indies. Some went to Nova Scotia or England. Another 4,000 people "melted away into the wilderness." Some went as far as the Mississippi River.

A town called St. Johns Bluff was started in 1779. It was the first town built on the St. Johns River. Many people who fled to Florida settled there and in St. Augustine. By 1783, St. Johns Bluff was a port with 300 houses. After the British left, it was renamed St. Vincent Ferrer. Later, it was abandoned.

Work and Money in British Florida

East Florida did not have formal laws about slavery until 1782. If a Black person or a person of mixed race could not prove they were free, they were considered enslaved. During the American Revolution, many people from Georgia and Carolina moved to Florida with their enslaved people. The government and slave owners used enslaved people to build defenses. A law was passed in 1781 that allowed enslaved people to be forced to work as laborers and soldiers.

East Florida produced goods like sugar, timber, and indigo. They also made rice, naval stores (like tar and pitch), and barrel parts. Most of these goods came from large farms called plantations. These plantations were along the St. Marys and St. Johns rivers and used enslaved labor.

Spanish fishermen had small fishing camps, called ranchos, along Florida's southwest coast. When the British took control, they let these fishermen continue their work.

Newspapers in British Florida

This is the front page of the East Florida Gazette from 1783. It was a newspaper that supported the British.

The East Florida Gazette was a newspaper that supported the British. It was published every week in St. Augustine from 1783 to 1784. It was started by John Wells and his brother, Dr. William Charles Wells. They were Loyalists who moved from Charleston, South Carolina. Before this newspaper, most news came from newspapers in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston.

The Wells brothers also published two books. One was about public credit. The other was The Case of the Inhabitants of East Florida, written by John Wells. In 1783, another Loyalist printer named David Zubly printed the first book in the colony. It was an Almanack by John Tobler.

Florida Under Spanish Rule (1783-1821)

This map shows East and West Florida in 1819. This was the year Spain gave Florida to the United States.

When Spain took over again, East Florida and West Florida remained separate. The Apalachicola River was still the border. But in 1785, Spain moved the border east to the Suwannee River.

Spain offered good deals for land. This attracted many settlers from the new United States. There were several arguments over land between the U.S. and Spain. Some of these led to fighting. This included the Patriot War in 1812. Another event was the attempt to take over Amelia Island in 1817.

An American army led by Andrew Jackson entered East Florida during the First Seminole War. Jackson's soldiers captured San Marcos on April 7, 1818. They also took Fort Barrancas in West Florida's capital, Pensacola, on May 24, 1818.

John Quincy Adams, who worked for President James Monroe, explained the U.S. position. Adams said Spain was breaking a treaty by not controlling the Seminoles. Spain realized it might lose control of Florida. So, it officially gave all of its Florida land to the U.S. in the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819. The U.S. took possession in 1821. In return, the U.S. gave up its claims to Texas. The U.S. also agreed to pay up to $5,000,000 for any claims its citizens had against Spain.

In 1822, the U.S. Congress created the Florida Territory. This combined East Florida and the part of West Florida that Spain had controlled until 1821. In 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States.

People and Population in Spanish Florida

When Spain took Florida back, some former British people stayed. Some Spaniards also came to Florida. St. Augustine had a mix of people from the British time and new Spanish arrivals. The rural areas settled by colonists were mostly "Anglo" (English-speaking).

During the Spanish period, St. Augustine's population stayed around 3,000 people. About half of them were enslaved Black people. There were also nine Native American towns in Florida. These towns were not counted in the 1786 census. In 1786, St. Augustine had about 950 people. Three hundred of them had some African background, whether they were enslaved or free.

Money and Trade in Spanish Florida

When the Spanish returned, the system of large farms (plantations) that used enslaved labor continued. Even though production was not as high as in other British colonies, crops like indigo, hemp, and rum helped the economy grow. St. Augustine became less dependent on money from the Spanish government.

Trade became more open during the second Spanish period. The Spanish government made changes that allowed trade between Spanish and non-Spanish areas. This helped St. Augustine.

St. Augustine was the biggest port on the Atlantic Ocean south of Charleston. Ships often traveled to Charleston, South Carolina, and Cap Français in Haiti. Goods were traded there, and crews learned the latest news. East Florida became dependent on the United States for trade. This happened after Spain sided with France and declared war on Britain in 1796. British trade mostly stopped. Charleston became St. Augustine's biggest trading partner. Savannah, Philadelphia, and New York City also traded with the city. East Florida sent oranges, lumber, and cotton to the United States. It imported fish, grain, and food from the United States.

Spain was worried about the Haitian Revolution. They feared that ideas of independence could spread to their own colonies, like Florida. Governor Quesada tried to stop this. He banned French ideas, books, citizens, or enslaved people from French areas.

Governors of East Florida

Here is a list of the people who served as governors of East Florida:

Images for kids

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  "Under Spanish rule, Florida was divided by the natural separation of the Suwanee River into West Florida and East Florida."—University of Florida

See also

In Spanish: Florida Oriental para niños