Tories, Dons, and Rebels: The American Revolution in British West Florida

ix, 278 pp. Maps on endpapers. "The frontier province of West Florida became a British possession at the conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763 and remained so for eighteen years. The story of the American Revolution and the concomitant Anglo-Spanish war in West Florida fills almost half of the brief history of British possession of West Florida. The province was remote from the scene of the revolution, at peace but in fear of an invasion. Throughout the rebellion there was almost constant debate between the British in West Florida and their Spanish neighbors in Louisiana over use of the Mississippi River. Fundamental to the whole argument was whether the Americans - as rebellious subjects of Great Britain - were entitled to the privilege of navigating the Spanish-controlled portion of the river. After the outbreak of the Revolution, Americans sought and often obtained assistance from the friendly Spanish officials of New Orleans. The British interpreted such aid to the rebels as a violation of international law. The long-threatened invasion occurred in 1778 when the American captain James Willing led a raid down the Mississippi River. His deplorable tactics caused neutral or pro-American settlers along the Mississippi to turn loyalist in sentiment and increased their hostility toward the Spanish, who had assisted Willing. Another consequence was that the British government became increasingly aware of the vulnerability of West Florida, leading to a strengthening of defenses on the river and in the province. West Florida was established as a loyalist haven in 1775 and received refugees from all of the colonies in rebellion during and after the revolt. Essentially the colony was loyal by default; there was little pressure to decide allegiance until war with Spain made loyalty a foregone conclusion. However, within two years of the outbreak of the Anglo-Spanish war in 1779, the Spanish under Bernardo de Galvez had totally reduced Major General John Campbell's defenses at Baton Rouge, Mobile, and Pensacola, and West Florida was once again a possession of Spain. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 confirmed this, and British West Florida no longer existed. Many of the inhabitants of the British Colony did remain, however, and were important in the continued growth and expansion of the area."