By Diane Roberts
Our democratic republic has survived (more or less) for 250 years. Despite the best efforts of the existing regime, we still (mostly) cherish the rule of law, free speech (pretty much), and the right to vote.
So, two cheers for us as the nation hurls itself into a frenzy of self-congratulation, parades, parties, patriotic spectacles, and pious — often historically dubious — invocations of American Exceptionalism.
Florida will be right there with everybody else, wrapping ourselves in the flag so tightly oxygen may struggle to reach our brains.
But perhaps you are wondering what was going on in Florida back in 1776.
What valiant battles did we fight? Did the Forces of Freedom take on the Redcoats and teach them a lesson? Were the Founding Fathers proud of us?
Actually, Florida in 1776 was a British colony and remained a British colony, loyal to the British Crown throughout the War of Independence.
Not that we like to admit this.
The state’s official commemorations include:
- Ron DeSantis unveiling a statue of Benjamin Franklin in Franklin County.
- Ron DeSantis unveiling a statue of Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson County.
- Ron DeSantis unveiling a statue of James Monroe in Monroe County.
- Ron DeSantis unveiling a statue of Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton County.
- Ron DeSantis unveiling a statue of George Washington in Tallahassee.
Tough luck, Chipley.
But let’s talk history.
Wars galore
In the mid-18th century, the British found themselves fighting more wars than you can shake a stick at, including the Carnatic Wars against the French for control of India, the Jacobite Uprising to replace a Hanoverian king with a French-backed Stuart one, a European campaign to stop the Spanish (and the French) from eating up Portugal, and the biggest and most important one, the French and Indian War.
It was a hydra-headed monster in which the British and the French, along with Native American allies on both sides, duked it out over who controlled trade, who controlled the Ohio River, and who owned those vast lands north of the St. Lawrence River.
Finally, in the 1763 Treaty of Paris, the British got Canada. The French settled for a couple of Caribbean islands, while their ally Spain got Havana, Cuba, back from the British, who had captured it. The Spanish, who had colonized Florida 250 years before, ceded our swampy territory to Britain.
(Still with me? I won’t judge if you run off and pour yourself a stiff drink).
To resume: Here’s British West Florida, with Pensacola as its capital, and British East Florida, with St. Augustine as its capital. The population (not counting Native people) was around 20,000 souls, 65% of whom were Black.
A lot of white people made a lot of money as merchants, planters, slave traders, and smugglers traversing the Atlantic to West Indies and back again.
Richard Oswald, a Scot who owned thousands of acres of old Timucua land along the Tomoka River, grew indigo, rice, sugar cane, and cotton — or rather, his enslaved people did.
Loyalist haven
In 1774, the First Continental Congress urged Florida to send delegates who could help draft petitions to George III and fume over the various injustices visited on the colonies, including quartering soldiers in private property, blocking Boston Harbor, and the Crown’s demand that American colonists stop grabbing Native American land west of the Appalachians.
Unimpressed, Florida declined the invitation.
News of the Declaration of Independence two years later didn’t reach St. Augustine for more than a month. When they heard, mightily pissed off residents hanged effigies of John Hancock and Samuel Adams in the town plaza.
The Florida colonists weren’t looking to become part of some raggedy new country to the north; they were doing fine, thank you very much.
George Washington, on the other hand, really wanted to capture Florida. It had forts, ports, and connections to Britain’s strategic Caribbean possessions.
In late summer 1776, 2,500 Continental Army soldiers marched south from Savannah to take St. Augustine. It didn’t work; there weren’t enough supplies. Half the men deserted.
Washington tried again the next year, but the American troops were vanquished at the Battle of Thomas Creek. Same thing in 1778 when rebel forces tried to cross the St. Mary’s River and swoop down into what is now Nassau County.
Florida remained stubbornly British, becoming a haven for fleeing Loyalists.
Scholars estimate about 20% of the white population of the 13 colonies wanted to remain part of the British Empire, 50% wanted independence, and the rest just tried to keep their heads down until one side or the other won the war.
Florida traded
The point is, history is more complicated than we’d like, certainly more complicated and more uncomfortable than the Trump White House and the DeSantis administration would prefer.
Trump famously complained the Museum of African American History and Culture focused too much on “how bad slavery was,” while Ron DeSantis insists enslaved people acquired skills they could apply “for their personal benefit.”
But history, like science, doesn’t care what those two or any of the rest of us think.
Florida wasn’t British for that long — just 20 years. The Spanish got it back in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
The Spanish gave the British the Bahamas in return. You can decide for yourself who ended up with better beaches.
Historical aside: Don’t confuse that treaty with the 1763 Treaty of Paris or the 1783 Treaty of Paris or with any the 30 other Treaties of Paris, from 1229, ending the Albigensian Crusade, to 1951, establishing the European Coal and Steel Community.
The main thing about the 1783 treaty was that it established the United States as an independent nation.
Thought experiment: What would have happened if Florida, like Canada, had remained part of Britain, first as a dominion, then eventually becoming an independent nation and member of the Commonwealth?
Upside: We might be praised for our politeness, speak French as well as English, and have universal healthcare.
Downside: Poutine. Dumping cheese curds on fries and smothering the whole thing in beef and chicken gravy is a crime against gastronomy.
But that’s not, of course, how the geopolitical cookie crumbled.
Once again, Spain had to figure out what to do with Florida.
Headache
They’d owned the place for the better part of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and never made money off it. The Spanish weren’t big on plantations; they were more into extractive industries.
Their Latin American colonies provided them with a lot of gold, silver, emeralds, and other blingy stuff.
Florida? Mosquitoes, alligators, and trees.
To boost the population as a defense against the Americans to the north, the French to the west and the British in the Caribbean, King Charles IV started giving land away for free.
My first Florida ancestor, a Frenchman named François Brouard, moved to Spanish East Florida in 1799.
Ol’ François had fought for the Americans in the War of Independence and Anglicized his name to Francis Broward, but he soon abandoned his new country to get his hands on a big chunk of property.
An exemplary Floridian.
But for Spain, Florida was a headache.
Andrew Jackson, soldier, slave trader, plantation owner, and all-around jerk had taken to violating their territory, burning Seminole villages, and hunting down enslaved people who’d escaped from the Carolinas and Georgia to relative freedom in Florida.
In 1819, the exhausted Spanish gave up and ceded Florida to the United States.
The bellicose and deeply racist Jackson became Florida’s first territorial governor.
And here we are: A state run by frightened white folks who want to play down anything critical instead of dealing with our sometimes uplifting, sometimes embarrassing, often maddening history.
Everyone wants to believe they’re good people who have always been good people, especially if they want to celebrate a national milestone and perhaps ignore the unraveling of what had been a society struggling for inclusion, decency, equal justice, and genuine liberty.
While you’re grilling your hot dogs, waving your flags, and hollering “USA! USA!” remember our story is morally messy, tangled, and often contradictory.
We can be proud of our accomplishments; we must also acknowledge that empires decline (ask the Romans, the Spanish, and the British) and nations do not stay on top forever.
Celebrate, but cast a cold eye on our rulers, those who would ignore or deny history, those who would trash our constitutional rights.
Celebrate, but reflect: Is America in 2026 the country you want it to be?
Atwp says
I believe all the statutes are of white men, probably Presidents. If you are going to put up statutes of white men, why not put up statutes of white men killing, raping, stealing, bombing, you no doing all the bad things to people they are known to do. Why not show those things instead of pretending Florida history of white peopke is so angelic and purely white holiness and perfect. And don’t forget about the lynchings from the pure white angelic, holy lying white people. I know they are trying to stop teaching about slavery, all the bad things the white people have done. They want to teach the Heavenly, Angelic, Biblical, Pure White, message of the lying, raping, lynching, theiving, hateful white men. What a shame. They will not be able to erase all of the demonic the white men and white society did to other people especially my people. I will teach about slavery as long as I live. The white man did things to help people and I’m glad for that. They murdered thousands upon thousands of people.
ATBP says
Try not being such a racist.. you will wake up happier in the morning.
Al says
It’s easy to hate white men isn’t it? Sounds like you were brought up in a family that cherished hatered and grievance over healing. I never owned a slave and neither did anyone in my family but I bet Diane’s family had quite a few of them. Oh wait her ancestors grabbed all that land and then gave it to former slaves as reparations. Don’t trust white people that jump up and speak for you they’re just trying to make themselves feel better.
Pogo says
Diane, you’re on the right team; but please, Floriduh’s history being subdivided in the manner you’ve styled it — serves who?
The people who lived here for approximately 10,000 years before they were discovered by a subsidiary of the Spanish Inquisition were pretty much eliminated during the period of your narrative. I don’t see much mention of that. If they were more prominent in the recounting of the skin cancer state’s history, it would naturally follow the survivors to their present situation, e g, hosts to the Sunshine State Showdown in Davie.
Like indigenous people everywhere in this country, they’re a model of a state within a state that the Tech Bro billionaires naturally engage as a private property venue for their, Libertarian Party getting its freak on, dream come true.
So, yeah, a happy ending. All they have to do, is to be good team players, and see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.
Ric Flair says
If the author knew history….The reason Spain traded Florida was to regain Havana….the Bahamas were a minor footnote. This author is trying to insinuate that because Florida was controlled by England at one point and Spain at another that we have some sort of ownership of whatever the heck was going on then. Wake up…we don’t and we certainly have no responsibility for whatever was going on at any point in Florida other than the here and now. The author states, “Our story is morally messy, tangled and often contradictory”…What are you talking about??? We weren’t here whenever what you are talking about was going on? Most people that don’t know history know nothing of this, but they are some how responsible? I hope the author buys a vintage house and years later learns that someone was unfortunately murdered in it 100 years ago so they can voluntarily turn themselves in to the authorities to pay for their crime.
Laurel says
“”The quote “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it” is often attributed to Edmund Burke, but it is also closely associated with Spanish philosopher George Santayana, who said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.””
– Search Assist, Virginia Tech, Big Think
We evolve, devolve, evolve and move forward, which is better than living in Groundhog Day.
I do not accept responsibility for Atwp’s hatred, but at the same time, I do not accept the current devolving administration’s attempt to whitewash history.
BIG Neighbor says
The appetite and spirit to celebrate has changed. If one wants to look at history, they can look across to Matanzas Inlet and see the fate we still face today, under God…indivisible…liberty….justice? To hear someone on local radio here in Flagler County say folks one side of a thought island should have their heads cut off and put on pikes makes me sick to know I lived and worked a lifetime to enable that. Remember when we celebrated the Bicentennial? For those who don’t know, I remember it being widely promoted on TV, in our schools and community with red, white and blue touching everything from festivals to lampshades. And even though it was branding, it’s message wasn’t cheapened like I see it is today.
James says
Up North (NYC), they gave out copies of the Declaration of Independence on faux weathered parchment paper.
Just say’n… one of the better memories of the 70s.
Laurel says
BIG Neighbor: You are so correct! I remember the Bicentennial well, and participated in the celebrations in my home town of Ft. Lauderdale. At that time, we celebrated as one. It was fun, we were united, and there was no, real separation of ideology displace. It was one flag, not a bunch of separate issue flags. It was one, big party!
We have our plans, but we also cringe at the thought of “in your face” ideology flags, signs and hats. We will simply try to ignore these attitudes and enjoy anyway.
Happy Fourth of July, Big Neighbor!
Laurel says
…ideology in place, not displace…
Autocorrect strikes again!
The dude says
The slaves were happy to be learning how to blacksmith… yeah?
JW says
As usual, America is a country build on form over substance. We are no longer even rated as a true democracy! We keep going down, this year to 64 from 57 last year (RSF world ranking). Statues are form not substance. Our education (K-12) needs to be drastically improved so people will learn the truth.
oldtimer says
Lot of haters here
The dude says
Pierre’s milkshake brings all the hateful MAGA to the yard…
PaulT says
Diane Roberts’ story of colonial Florida is fascinating. Atwn and Pogo’s reminders are an essential part of our imperfect state history. But what about the more recent years?
The story of Florida in the 20th/21st centuries, is as tarnished as it’early colonial years. It’s a tale of property booms and busts powered by the unceasing pursuit of profit by rapacious property developers though it’s role as a haven for criminals and mobsters deserves a mention..
This state is a mess, characterized by unchecked sprawl, environmental destruction and the ruinous greed of profit obsessed land development all enabled by widespread political corruption. Yet most of us ignore these faults because (lets face it) 65% of us are transplants or immigrants who only came here for the (almost) flawless weather.
Laurel says
PaulT: I have watched it for 74 years. It hurts.
Atwp says
The attention I’m getting, wow. I read what you all wrote. Y’all can say I hate white folks all you want to but it isn’t true. Do you all see any lies in my comments? I’m telling the truth. Look at the history of the white man against the black man I’m suppose to be happy I’m not. Am I’m racist probably had to learn it from someone, that someone is the white man. Are you all mad because a person of color isn’t afraid to speak against the white society and not be afraid. Many of my people were afraid to say anything against the white man for fear of dying at the hand of the white man and many did die and didn’t truly speak how they felt. I’m not that person if Donald Trump give a directive for Ice to kill me because of my comments about the white man so be it, I will not stop speaking about the cruelty of the white against my people. Am I’m wrong for speaking the truth about the white man cruelty towards the black man, I will not stop speaking because the white man want me to stop speaking.
Atwp says
Strange fruit,bulging eyes twisted mouths. Black bodies swinging in the breeze. The song is about my people dying from lynching. Billie Holiday continued to sing the song even though the fbi wanted her to stop singing about lynchings. Sound like Trump and Desantis.