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For 74 days in 1810: the free and
independent Republic of
West Florida
Republic of West Florida 1810
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Image Above
This photo is from New Orleans' daily
newspaper, the Times-Picayune.
Original caption:
"The West Florida Republic Monument produced by Bob Landry of Amite
Marble and Granite was dedicated Sept. 10 [2011] at the Louisiana
State Visitors Center on Interstate 10 near Slidell."
Credits:
Carol Wolfram |
What we refer to today as the Republic of West Florida of
1810, called itself the independent State of Florida,
and declared itself as such on September 26, 1810.
A constitution was adopted on
October 27, 1810, and completed with the following
signatures:
John Mills
John H. Johnson
John W. Leonard
Joseph Thomas
William Spiller
Benjamin C. Williams
John Morgan
Champney Terry
Edmund Hawes
William Barrow
Thomas Lilley
Philip Hicky
John Rhea (President)
Adrew Steele (Secretary)
According to Article 2 of this
constitution,
The
Supreme executive power shall be vested in a
Governor of this State [...]
On November 22, 1810, Fulwar Skipwith,
a U.S. citizen born in Virginia,
was unanimously elected
Governor of State.
Fulwar Skipwith (1765-1830)
Morven Research Blog
/ University of Virginia
Here is an excerpt of Skipwith's
speech to the Senate and House of Representatives of the
State of (West) Florida, given at St. Francisville on
November 29, 1810:
We are then entitled to independence, and
wherever the voice of justice and humanity
can be heard, our declaration, and our just
rights will be respected.
But the blood which flows in our veins, like
the tributary streams which form and sustain
the father of rivers, encircling our
delightful country, will return if not
impeded, to the heart of our parent country.
The genius of Washington, the immortal
founder of the liberties of America,
stimulates that return, and would frown upon
our cause, should we attempt to change its
course.
The independent State of Florida came to an end
on December 8, 1810.
Go here for more about the
West Florida Revolt of 1810
including timeline and maps.
Here is more about the history of
West Florida.
And here is the
list of all governors of the colonial
province of West Florida from 1763 to 1821.
More History
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