"Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South" Topic

… During America's Revolutionary Era by Mike Bunn. (Montgomery, AL: NewSouth Books, 2020)

"In Fourteenth Colony, Mike Bunn sheds light on the forgotten British colony of West Florida. The book seeks to "put West Florida back on the map of our historical consciousness" (page xi). Comprising parts of present-day Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Florida panhandle, West Florida existed as a frontier province along the fringes of the British Empire. During the Revolutionary War, Britain fought Spain in the Gulf South over control of West Florida. As such, West Florida remained in British hands from 1763 to 1781. Organized in chronological order, Bunn provides a narrative of West Florida that is intended to serve as an overview of this "dramatic interlude in Gulf South history . . . [told] from the viewpoint of those who worked so diligently to establish it" (xii). Indeed, Britain's viewpoint is the main perspective in this book, but Bunn shifts perspectives during the Gulf Coast campaign to offer the Spanish standpoint as they invaded West Florida…"
Full Review here
link

Amicalement
Armand

I like The Journal of the American Revolution. They provide good articles and fascinating information.

Interesting article. Imagine how differently a landlocked Alabama and Mississippi might have evolved – especially economically – had such a 14th Colony gained separate statehood.

Nice find, Armand. Thanks.

Yes, except CANADA was 14th; this would have been 15th. :)

A votre service mon cher ami! (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Not much of Louisiana was in West Florida colony since New Orleans was Spanish. Baton Rouge controlled by Britain was part of the St Louis district not West Florida.
In Alabama we are very familiar of the Gulf Coast campaign in the AmRev and later.

I was aware of Willing's expedition down the Mississippi. Aside from that I don't recall any efforts the Americans aimed towards capturing West Florida. There were several efforts launched out of Georgia to capture East Florida.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

Read the comments in the link of THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, as Will pointed out. There are a heck of a lot of claimants to the title 14th Colony.

Was Galvez's intent to do good deeds for the Protestant Catholic-hating United States, or to grab some land back for Spain?

Galvez was a very good commander and strategist. He was all about securing supply lines before assaulting the West Florida capital of Pensacola. He first attacked Baton Rouge and captured it without much resistance.
Then the Spanish captured Mobile but the British with Creek allies attacked the Spanish there several times. The most notable and war game skirmish worthy, battle was the French Village raid.
Then the Spanish attacked Pensacola. They had plans to attack either Havana or St Augustine but the war ended.
Spanish and British forces in Central America also had a few skirmishes but disease wiped out the British Invasion force composed of a large contingent of SC POWs.

One invasion of north Florida by Georgia was the Patriot War. The Spanish also had a war with Muscogee Free State until the British switched sides in 1808.
In 1813-14 Jackson attacked Pensacola and sent at least two expeditions, one under Major Blue, further east attempting to destroy Seminole and fleeing Upper Creek supply centers.

I think my question is whether the Spanish were fighting FOR the United States, or AGAINST Britain.
How did the territorial settlement shake out after the treaties?

I think Spain itself was mostly anti-British. Spain and France had come close to war just before the outbreak of the AWI. Spain wanted to recover Gibraltar. They wanted to recover Minorca. They wanted to secure their position in the Americas. They wanted to help France. Spanish officials in Louisiana went beyond the official line and actively sought to advance the U.S. cause. PDF link

Should have been Spain and Britain had come close to war. I need to check my posts more carefully.

As Bill said, for their own national goals. According to one prominent book, the first Spanish aid was a very large herd of Texas cattle. I was never able to find out how it got to the American colonies.
Until the 1808 invasion of Spain by France they were anti- British after 1763.