SW066 West Florida's 1821 Transfer Ceremony at Pensacola Confirmed US Acquisition, Presaged Enduring Conflict with Diverse Peninsular Tribes

Images courtesy of TwoEgg TV.

We recently podcasted on the 200^th anniversary commemoration of the United States taking possession of the Florida territory from Spain. That signing and flag ceremony occurred in St Augustine for East Florida. A week later, Pensacola hosted a similar event for West Florida. Under United States possession, East and West became simply Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wHyDcu4uH0

At sunrise on July 17, 2021 Chief Dan “Sky Horse” Helms, of Santa Rosa Creek Tribe, offered a blessing in Ferdinand Plaza before the ceremony recreating the exchange of Spanish and American flags, 200 years since the first time.

In Pensacola, the University of West Florida’s Symphonic Band played The Star-Spangled Banner and provided a medley of Spanish, British, French and American music. Hispanic musicians drifted through the Village and, just as they did 200 years ago, performers of African descent danced in the plazas. Spanish and English military reenactors mingled with the public for the West Florida Days Living History Weekend event. 

The ceremony 200 years ago was a culmination of sharp diplomatic negotiations sprinkled with outlaw military actions on the American side. It begged the question: Why did Spain part with Florida by 1819 treaty?

In addition, what part did border conflicts with the new American republic influence this decision? Even so, why was Spain willing to part with any possession, even one as negligible to its empire as Florida was?

An understanding of Spain’s motivations requires a look at Spanish Florida in 1821. What was Pensacola like at this transfer? What was Florida like as a whole? Why were the two sides joined as one territory? What became of the free whites with multicultural backgrounds already living in Florida? What challenges did free blacks have in U.S. Florida?

And, as for the Seminole, whether two Floridas or one, why did territoriality bring unnecessary oversight from the Great Father in Washington, an oversight that subsequently led to unnecessary conflict, as listeners well know.

With us to sort this out is Dr. Brian Rucker, a member of the 200^th anniversary committee. He sketches Florida life at the transfer and addresses these questions.

Doctor Rucker is a Professor of History at Pensacola State College, He also teaches courses in Florida History and History of the Florida Panhandle at the University of West Florida.  He is past president of the Gulf South Historical Association and has authored and edited over 40 books and articles related to West Florida history, including the Gulf borderlands struggles of the early 1800s.

Image courtesy of TwoEgg TV.

His most recent publication is a most engaging change of pace: The Story of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels 1971-2021.  

Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida. 

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