The British Takeover of 1763

Successful invasion of a nation by a foreign land will almost always result in the complete overhaul of politics, language, philosophy, and culture. Virtually anything that resembled or respected the land’s previous inhabitants are erased. Such is the case of La Florida. The already powerful British army was no stranger to conquer at this point in history and employed the same mentality to take control over both East and West Florida. While physical damage was dealt plentifully, it means nearly nothing when compared to the cultural shifts that followed along. A well-placed British attack would essentially press the “reset” button on the identity of the mostly Spanish Floridians.

Juan Ponce de Leon’s 1513 arrival to what he named “La Florida” was the beginning of a dominant Spanish rule in the land for what would last well over two centuries. For many lifetimes the likes of St. Augustine would be filled with a diverse set of highly skilled individuals. However, 1763 saw the British rule put a brief end to such prosperity. The inhabitants of La Florida were either deceased or enslaved and the years of labor endured by generations would essentially amount to nothing for a moment in time. Author Glenn Boggs puts it best: “Nearly three centuries of Spanish hegemony in Florida was, however, broken by a 20-year hiatus”. Being attacked by the British would not have completely demolished all progress made in the last few centuries. In fact, Spanish architecture remained largely the same. Rather, the British rule from 1763-1783 would be more damaging in regards to customs during their stay. With them, the British command brought along their culture, more specifically, forms of Anglican Christianity that were not the Spanish-preferred Roman Catholicism.

As for Spanish-owned slaves, their fate would see very little change. Similar to the “Americans” of a later time, the British certainly had their foot in the metaphorical door of the Atlantic slave trade. No stranger to the concept of free labor, they ensured that the institution lived on in their new territory. Rather ironically, but noteworthy, African slaves of the British thirteen colonies would escape and be accepted by Spanish Floridians on the condition that they convert to Roman Catholicism. What an unfortunate fate they must have had to be returned back to their previous condition by the British attack years later!

The inhabitants of La Florida changed in perhaps the most drastic fashion: death and enslavement. It is important to understand, though, that during their short-lived stay, the British did not do as most civilizations had: burn, loot, and plunder. Instead, they chose an arguably more destructive form of conquest – living in the enemies land as it was and removing the traditional religion of the Spanish to replace it with their own.  

Sources:

Boggs, Glenn / 81 Fla. B.J. 23 (2007) / Florida Bar Journal, Vol. 81, Issue 7 (July/August 2007), pp. 23-32

Schwartz, Susan. “James Grant, British East Florida, and the Impending Imperial Crisis, 1764-1771.” The Florida Historical Quarterly, vol. 93, no. 3, 2015, pp. 327–353. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43487693. Accessed 12 Apr. 2020.