🐊Florida History Unit 4 – Florida's Acquisition by the United States

Historical Context

• Florida's strategic location made it a valuable territory for European powers seeking to establish a foothold in the New World
• Spain claimed Florida as part of its colonial empire in the 16th century, establishing settlements such as St. Augustine (1565)
• British gained control of Florida from Spain in 1763 as part of the Treaty of Paris following the Seven Years' War
  • Divided Florida into East and West Florida
  • Encouraged settlement and development of the region
• Spain regained control of Florida in 1783 after the American Revolutionary War through the Treaty of Paris
• United States viewed Florida as a strategic buffer against potential European encroachment and a source of fertile land for expansion
• Seminole Wars (1817-1818, 1835-1842, 1855-1858) reflected tensions between the United States, Native Americans, and runaway slaves seeking refuge in Florida

Key Players and Figures

• Andrew Jackson: U.S. general who led military expeditions into Florida during the First Seminole War, later served as the first territorial governor of Florida and the 7th U.S. President
• John Quincy Adams: U.S. Secretary of State who negotiated the Treaty of Adams-Onís with Spain, securing Florida for the United States
• Luis de Onís: Spanish minister to the United States who negotiated the Treaty of Adams-Onís on behalf of Spain
• William Pope Duval: First civilian governor of the Florida Territory, serving from 1822 to 1834
• Richard Keith Call: Second and fourth territorial governor of Florida, played a significant role in the Second Seminole War
• Osceola: Influential Seminole leader who resisted U.S. attempts to relocate the Seminole people during the Second Seminole War
• John Horse (Juan Caballo): Black Seminole leader who fought alongside the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War and later led a group of Black Seminoles to Mexico

Treaty of Adams-Onís

• Also known as the Transcontinental Treaty or the Florida Purchase Treaty, signed in 1819 and ratified in 1821
• The United States acquired Florida from Spain in exchange for $5 million and a renunciation of U.S. claims to Texas
  • U.S. also agreed to assume up to $5 million in claims by U.S. citizens against Spain
• Established the boundary between the United States and New Spain (Mexico), extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean
• Resolved long-standing border disputes between the two nations and paved the way for U.S. expansion into the Southeast and West
• Spain's motivations for ceding Florida included a desire to improve relations with the U.S. and a recognition of the difficulty in defending the territory

Territorial Period

• Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821 following the ratification of the Adams-Onís Treaty
• Territorial period lasted from 1821 to 1845, during which Florida was governed as a U.S. territory
• Territorial governors, appointed by the U.S. President, oversaw the administration of Florida
  • Andrew Jackson served as the first territorial governor (1821), followed by William Pope Duval (1822-1834)
• Legislative Council, consisting of appointed and elected members, created laws for the territory
• Population growth and economic development accelerated during this period, with an influx of settlers from the United States
• Seminole Wars (1817-1818, 1835-1842, 1855-1858) marked a significant challenge for the territorial government, as the U.S. sought to remove the Seminole people from Florida
• Establishment of new cities and towns, such as Tallahassee (1824), which became the territorial capital

Impact on Native Americans

• Florida's acquisition by the United States had a profound and devastating impact on the Native American populations, particularly the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes
• Seminole Wars (1817-1818, 1835-1842, 1855-1858) were fought as the U.S. government sought to remove the Seminole people from Florida and relocate them to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma)
  • Thousands of Seminoles were killed, captured, or forcibly relocated during these conflicts
• Indian Removal Act of 1830, signed by President Andrew Jackson, authorized the forced relocation of Native Americans from the southeastern United States, including Florida
• Many Seminoles resisted relocation, leading to the Second Seminole War (1835-1842), the longest and most costly Indian war in U.S. history
• Some Seminoles and Miccosukees managed to remain in Florida, retreating to the Everglades and other remote areas
• Loss of ancestral lands, disruption of traditional ways of life, and population decline due to warfare, disease, and forced relocation

Economic and Social Changes

• Florida's acquisition by the United States led to significant economic and social changes in the region
• Expansion of plantation agriculture, particularly cotton, sugar, and tobacco, driven by the influx of settlers from the southern United States
  • Slave labor became increasingly important to the plantation economy
• Development of transportation infrastructure, including roads, canals, and railroads, to facilitate the movement of goods and people
• Growth of the lumber industry, with the exploitation of Florida's vast pine forests for timber and naval stores (turpentine, pitch, and rosin)
• Cattle ranching emerged as an important economic activity, particularly in central and south Florida
• Fishing and sponge industries developed along the coast, with Key West becoming a major center for these activities
• Tourism began to emerge as a significant economic driver, with visitors attracted to Florida's warm climate and natural beauty
• Social stratification based on race and class, with a small elite class of wealthy planters and a larger population of slaves, free blacks, and poor whites

Path to Statehood

• As Florida's population and economy grew during the territorial period, calls for statehood intensified
• The question of slavery played a significant role in the debate over Florida's admission to the Union
  • Florida's plantation economy relied heavily on slave labor, and many settlers sought to protect the institution of slavery
• The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had established a balance between free and slave states, and Florida's admission as a slave state would upset this balance
• Florida's territorial government drafted a state constitution in 1838, but it was rejected by the U.S. Congress due to concerns over the balance of power between free and slave states
• The territory's second attempt at a state constitution in 1839 was also unsuccessful
• Florida's admission to the Union was ultimately approved as part of a larger compromise, with Iowa admitted as a free state to maintain the balance between free and slave states
• Florida officially became the 27th state of the United States on March 3, 1845

Legacy and Significance

• Florida's acquisition by the United States had far-reaching consequences for the region and the nation as a whole
• The incorporation of Florida into the United States marked a significant expansion of U.S. territory and influence in the Southeast
• Florida's admission as a slave state contributed to the growing sectional tensions that would ultimately lead to the American Civil War (1861-1865)
• The Seminole Wars and the forced relocation of Native Americans from Florida reflected the U.S. government's broader policy of Indian removal and the displacement of indigenous peoples
• The development of plantation agriculture and the growth of slavery in Florida had lasting impacts on the state's economy, society, and race relations
• Florida's strategic location made it an important military asset for the United States, with the establishment of naval bases and coastal defenses
• The state's unique blend of Spanish, British, and American influences shaped its cultural heritage and identity
• Florida's warm climate and natural beauty laid the foundation for its eventual emergence as a major tourist destination and retirement haven in the 20th century