Florida History-Second Spanish Period to Territorial Period

 

Here's a brief overview of Florida history, from the prehistoric period to early European colonizationLearn about the first period of Spanish Colonization and the British Colonization period of Florida historyOn this page learn about the tumultuous times from the second Spanish colonial period to when Florida first became a part of the United States as a territory, and the Seminole WarsOn this page learn about the period when Florida became a state, the terrible times of the Civil War, and reconstruction after the warOn this page follow the development of Florida after the Civil War, both agriculturally and economically, until the Great DepressionFlorida History 6Here are interesting photos, information and history of some of the historic buildings and areas in the Ocala Marion County Florida areaHere are some more photos and a brief history of some more of the great historic buildings in the Ocala Marion County areaHotel ReservationsA Directory of links to websites about a large variety of topics relevant to real estateReal Estate LinksLots of easy to use legal forms and software, including bankruptcy, wills, divorce and contracts and a whole lot more!Order all your moving boxes and moving supplies, save money and FREE shipping!    

Florida History Page 3

On this page learn about the tumultuous times from the second Spanish colonial period to when Florida first became a part of the United States as a territory, and the Seminole Wars.

The Second Spanish Period of Florida

When the British evacuated Florida, Spanish colonists as well as settlers from the newly formed United States came pouring in. Many of the new residents were lured by favorable Spanish terms for acquiring property, called land grants. Others who came were escaped slaves, trying to reach a place where their U.S. masters had no authority and effectively could not reach them. Instead of becoming more Spanish, the two Floridas increasingly became more "American." Finally, after several official and unofficial U.S. military expeditions into the territory, Spain formally ceded Florida to the United States in 1821, according to terms of the Adams-Onís Treaty.

General Andrew Jackson battled native Americans in Florida On one of those military operations, in 1818, General Andrew Jackson made a foray into Florida. Jackson’s battles with Florida’s Indian people later would be called the First Seminole War.

Territorial Period

Andrew Jackson returned to Florida in 1821 to establish a new territorial government on behalf of the United States. What the U.S. inherited was a wilderness sparsely dotted with settlements of native Indian people, African Americans, and Spaniards.

Florida now was divided informally into three areas: East Florida, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Suwannee River; Middle Florida, between the Suwannee and the Apalachicola Rivers; and West Florida, from the Apalachicola to the Perdido River. The southern area of the territory (south of present-day Gainesville) was sparsely settled by whites. The territory’s economy was based on agriculture. Plantations were concentrated in Middle Florida, and their owners established the political tone for all of Florida until after the Civil War.

By 1840 white Floridians were concentrating on developing the territory and gaining statehood. The population had reached 54,477 people, with African American slaves making up almost one-half of the population. Steamboat navigation was well established on the Apalachicola and St. Johns Rivers, and railroads were planned. 19th century Florida slaves made up almost one half of the population

As a territory of the United States, Florida was particularly attractive to people from the older Southern plantation areas of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, who arrived in considerable numbers. After territorial status was granted, the two Floridas were merged into one entity with a new capital city in Tallahassee. Established in 1824, Tallahassee was chosen because it was halfway between the existing governmental centers of St. Augustine and Pensacola.

As Florida’s population increased through immigration, so did pressure on the federal government to remove the Indian people from their lands. The Indian population was made up of several groups—primarily, the Creek and the Miccosukee people; and many African American refugees lived with the Indians. Indian removal was popular with white settlers because the native people occupied lands that white people wanted and because their communities often provided a sanctuary for runaway slaves from northern states.

Osceola, famous Seminole Indian war chief Among Florida’s native population, the name of Osceola has remained familiar after more than a century and a half. Osceola was a Seminole war leader who refused to leave his homeland in Florida. Seminoles, already noted for their fighting abilities, won the respect of U.S. soldiers for their bravery, fortitude, and ability to adapt to changing circumstances during the Second Seminole War (1835–42). This war, the most significant of the three conflicts between Indian people and U.S. troops in Florida, began over the question of whether Seminoles should be moved westward across the Mississippi River into what is now Oklahoma.