Florida: Difference between revisions

In 1850 after years of tension between the Spanish and Dutch, the two empires went to war. This was ended in a humiliating defeat for the Dutch as they lost land on the western Dutch-Spanish frontier to New Spain as well as loosing their gulf coast holdings to the newly independent [[South Tussenland]] Republic and parts to Spanish Florida. As the Spanish had already abolished slavery after the Latin American [[History of Europe#Spring of Nations (1830s)|Spring of Nations]], many now-freed Afro-Dutch in the now western Florida rejoiced and most of the ethnically Dutch population of the territory fled north to [[Tussenland]]. Immediately after the war the governor of Spanish Florida declared that all lands in the conquered territory to be crown lands and between 17521852 and 17651865 these lands were doled out to the colonial elites and those with political connections. This angered many of the former slaves in the area who were expecting that the Spanish crown to distribute the land in parcels to them. Between 1850 and 1900 a form of sharecropping developed in western Florida whereas eastern elites would allow poor farmers to farm the land in exchange to upwards of 50% of their harvest. This system had many negative effects such as keeping many poor farmers trapped in perpetual debt and poverty.

After the deposition of the communard government in Spain and the restoration of the Spanish king to the throne, viceroys of New Spain and Peru declared independence (due to numerous growing political and economic differences as well as colonial elite anger at the King's reforms while in Mexico) as the Kingdoms of Mexico and Peru, respectively. This led to panic within the Spanish Empire and after numerous failed attempts to retrieve the rebellious viceroys (in which Florida was used as base of operation) the Spanish government recognized the independence of their former colonies. Loosing their richest and most profitable colonies created a profound shift in Spanish internal policy towards empire and in their remaining American colonies (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Florida) the Spanish allowed for a greater degree of self governance, but also started to crack down on rebellious or seditionist actively through the creation of a royal secret police force. On June 28th, 1887 Cuba, Puerto Rico and Florida were granted popular sovereignty as royal dominions of Spain. This change in colonial status was perceived and ennactenact very differently amongst the colonies due to each royal Dominionship charter being created jointly with the governors of the colonies. In [[Puerto Rico]] 1887 marched the beginning of democracy and mostly free elections, while in [[Cuba]], not much changed in governance and in 1890 the long and bloody Cuban war of independence kicked off. In Florida much of the charter was written in order to favor the eastern San Agustin elites and their interests. In fact, many of the poorer classes remarked that life was better and the government less harsh prior to the reforms; the last decade of the 19th century in Florida was marked by increasing class and regional tensions within society.