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Republic of East Florida

1812–1812

Flag

Motto: Salus populi lex suprema (The good of the people is the highest law.)

Status

Short-lived independent state

Capital

Amelia Island, Florida

Common languages

English, Spanish

Government

Republic

"Governor or Director"

• 1812

John Houstoun McIntosh

Chair of the Legislative Council of East Florida

• 1812

Buckner F. Harris

Legislature

Legislative Council of East Florida

History

• Rebel capture of Amelia Island, Florida

March 17 1812

• Declaration of independence from Spain

March 17, 1812

• Ratification of the Constitution of East Florida

July 17, 1812

• Disestablished

1812

Currency

U.S. dollar

Preceded by

Succeeded by

New Spain

United States military occupation
New Spain

Today part of

United States

The Republic of East Florida was a short-lived government. It was declared by a group called the "Patriots" in 1812. Most of these Patriots were from Georgia. They were rebelling against Spanish rule in East Florida.

John Houstoun McIntosh was chosen as the "Director" of the Patriots in March 1812. He was in charge when the Spanish formally gave up control of Amelia Island. In July, while U.S. forces were occupying the area, the Patriots created their own government. They wrote a constitution that set up an executive office, a legislative council, and a court system.

On July 27, McIntosh became "Director of the Territory of East Florida." Later, Gen. Buckner Harris took over this role. The Patriots did not want to be a fully independent country. They also did not want to become a U.S. state. Instead, they wanted the United States to take over their territory. This is why they used the word "Territory" in their name.

John Houstoun McIntosh marker in McIntosh County, Georgia, USA. It remembers McIntosh as the first American "Governor or Director" of the Republic of Florida.

History of the Republic of East Florida
See also

History of the Republic of East Florida

General Mathews and the Patriots

In 1812, President James Madison sent General George Mathews to Florida. Mathews had secret orders to try and get East Florida from Spain. He was told to take control if the local Spanish leaders agreed. He was also allowed to take control if another foreign country tried to occupy Florida.

Mathews went to St. Marys, Georgia. He could not convince the Spanish governor to give up Florida peacefully. So, he planned to create a rebel group. This group would then take over the local government.

However, the people living in Florida were happy under Spanish rule. They were doing well with cotton and timber trade. The town of Fernandina on Amelia Island was a busy port. Many nations traded there, and it was a center for legal and illegal trade. Because of this, a real revolution was not likely to start on its own.

Instead, Mathews recruited leaders for a rebellion. These leaders were mostly Georgia militiamen and boatmen. They were also supported by planters who owned enslaved people. These planters wanted to stop raids from Seminole Indians. They also worried about armed free black militias in Spanish Florida. Mathews convinced these leaders that the U.S. government fully supported them. He promised them weapons and U.S. military help. This help was to take the Spanish fort at Fernandina. He also promised to protect the territory once the Patriots gave it to the United States.

On March 14, 1812, the "Patriots of Amelia Island" gathered on the Florida side of the St. Mary's River. They chose temporary leaders under General Mathews. There were between 250 and 357 Patriots. Only a few of them were Spanish citizens.

On March 16, nine American gunboats lined up in Fernandina harbor. Their guns were aimed at the town. This was to support the Patriot volunteers. General Mathews demanded that Justo López, the Spanish commander, surrender. López saw that the American forces were much stronger and surrendered the town.

On March 17, John H. McIntosh signed the surrender papers for the Patriots. The Spanish representatives also signed. The Patriots then raised their own flag. The next day, 250 U.S. soldiers arrived. The Patriots gave the town to General Mathews. He immediately raised the U.S. flag. The Patriots held Fernandina for only one day before giving control to the U.S. military. This event gave the U.S. control of the coast up to St. Augustine.

Within a few days, the Patriots and U.S. troops moved toward St. Augustine. The Patriots would claim an area and raise their flag. Then, they would give the territory to the U.S. troops. The American flag would then replace the Patriot flag. The Patriots faced no resistance during their march. Witnesses said the Patriots could not have succeeded without U.S. military help. The American troops and Patriots worked closely together. They marched, camped, and fought as one group.

When the U.S. government learned what happened, Congress became worried. They feared being drawn into a war with Spain. Secretary of State James Monroe quickly disagreed with Mathews' actions. On May 9, he removed General Mathews from his position. Monroe ordered U.S. troops to leave Florida. He told them to give Amelia Island and other captured areas back to Spain. Monroe wrote that the forced taking of Spanish land was "too painful to recite."

However, talks with Spanish leaders were very slow. Through the summer and autumn, U.S. and Patriot troops took supplies from farms. Most farms had been left empty by their owners. The troops took everything they could find. Stored food was eaten, and crops were destroyed. Property was stolen or ruined. Buildings and fences were burned. Animals were killed or stolen. This continued until May 1813. It left the area in a state of ruin.

Talks for the U.S. troops to leave ended in 1813. On May 6, 1813, the army lowered the flag at Fernandina. The remaining troops crossed the St. Marys River into Georgia. Spain then took back control of the area.

The Elotchaway District

On January 10, 1814, General Buckner Harris led a group of volunteers. They went to the former site of Paynes Town. This was the home of the Seminole leader, King Payne. U.S. troops had burned the town in 1813. This site was far inland, southwest of St. Augustine.

There, Harris's group built a small fort. They called it Fort Mitchell. On January 25, 1814, the settlers met. They declared the area the "District of Elotchaway of the Republic of East Florida." However, President James Madison officially refused to recognize this new republic. This was a big blow to the Patriots' hopes.

Meanwhile, the Spanish governor, Sebastián Kindelán, offered a reward for Harris. He wanted the Seminoles to capture Harris. On May 5, 1814, the Seminoles attacked Harris and killed him. His death left the Patriots without a leader. This ended the attempt to bring back the Republic of East Florida.

End of the Rebellion

Most white people in East Florida, outside of St. Augustine, lived along the St. Johns, Nassau, and St. Marys Rivers. The rebellion mainly affected a small strip of land. This area was about sixty miles long and fifteen to twenty miles wide. It was north of St. Augustine.

After Spain took back control in 1813, Governor Kindelán set up three local governing districts. This was done under the Spanish Constitution of 1812. These districts were Fernandina, Upper St. Johns, and Lower St. Johns. He appointed a local official, like a police officer and judge, for each district. They also had small groups of soldiers.

This system worked in the St. Johns River districts. But it did not work in the area near the Nassau and St. Marys Rivers. Trouble continued there until 1816. The years after August 1813 were very chaotic. This was the opposite of what the Patriots wanted. Their constitution aimed to prevent "anarchy and confusion."

Civil unrest was common in the area. The rebellion that started in 1812 continued. People were still hostile toward the Spanish leaders on Amelia Island. In 1816, Governor Coppinger sent three people to talk with the unhappy residents. They wanted to find a way to end the fighting.

The three representatives met forty people at Mill's Ferry. They arranged a larger meeting at Waterman's Bluff. At this meeting, they offered a plan for peace. The plan suggested that the people accept Spanish rule. The territory between the St. Marys and St. Johns rivers would be divided into three self-governing districts. These were Upper St. Marys, Lower St. Marys, and Nassau (Amelia Island). Each district would have a court and its own local militia. The people would elect the militia officers. The group accepted these terms, and the plan was adopted.

Flag of the Patriots

The East Florida Patriot flag.

On March 14, 1812, the "Patriots" gathered at Rose's Bluff. This was across the river from St. Marys. They raised their flag to show their rebellion against Spanish rule.

The flag was designed by Colonel Ralph Isaacs. It had a white background. On it was a blue picture of a soldier charging with his bayonet. Below the soldier was a Latin motto: Salus populi lex suprema. This means "The safety of the people, the supreme law."