Florida, the Fourteenth Colony
Presenter Mr. Mike Bunn
Greetings. The Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society would like to extend a invitation to the public to virtually attend our quarterly meeting on Zoom on Sunday, January 23rd, at 2:00 PM Central (3:00 PM Eastern). Our presenter will be Mr. Mike Bunn, a historian and author of several noteworthy books. His presentation concerns the history of Florida from the mid-18th Century up until the Adams-Onis Treaty made it a U.S. State in 1819.
Unlike our previous two quarterly meetings, which were in-seat at Point University, this meeting will be attended virtually on Zoom. If you are interested in attending this virtual meeting, email ccpowers02@gmail.com for the relevant Zoom information prior to 12:00 PM noon (CDT) on Sunday, January 23rd. You will then be sent the Zoom link (which you should simply be able to click on) and additional information (should you need it) and instructions. It would be best to log on 15 minutes before the presentation begins at 2:00 PM (Central).
Mr. Bunn has a very interesting presentation for this Sunday afternoon. The focus of his presentation is what we now know as the State of Florida. Most people know that Florida was once a Spanish colony prior to becoming a U.S. State. The city of St. Augustine is, in fact, the first permanent European settlement in North America. What few people know, however, is that ownership of Florida changed hands several times between the 1740s and 1819, with the British taking possession. Under a brief period of British rule, Florida was divided up into two colonies: “British West Florida” and “British East Florida”. Many people may then wonder how “the Floridas” were left out of the American Revolution if they were “British Colonies”. Mr. Bunn’s presentation will certainly shed light on this interesting glimpse at our southernmost neighbors during the Revolutionary period (and whether or not they were really “left out” at all, or simply overlooked or even forgotten).
Much of the focus of Mr. Bunn’s presentation is the British colony of West Florida. This colony once stretched from the mighty Mississippi to the shallow bends of the Apalachicola and portions of what are now the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. It is (arguably) the forgotten fourteenth colony of America’s Revolutionary era. The colony’s eventful years as a part of the British Empire form an important and compelling interlude in Gulf Coast history that has for too long been overlooked for a host of reasons, including the fact that West Florida did not rebel against the British Government. Also, the colony has long been dismissed by many as a loyal but inconsequential fringe outpost, if even considered that at all. Nevertheless, the colony’s history showcases a tumultuous political scene featuring a halting attempt at instituting representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; a compelling saga of struggle and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of battles on land and water which brought about the end of its days under the Union Jack. In Fourteenth Colony, historian Mike Bunn offers the first comprehensive history of the colony, introducing readers to the Gulf Coast’s remarkable British period and putting West Florida back in its rightful place on the map of Colonial America.
Mr. Bunn is a historian and author who has worked with several cultural heritage organizations in the Southeast. He currently serves as Director of Historic
Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama. He is author or co-author of several books, including Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era (the work that is the focus of our presentation). Other works by Mr. Bunn include:
The Assault on Fort Blakeley:
The Thunder and Lightning of Battle
Early Alabama: An Illustrated Guide to the
Formative Years, 1798-1826
Alabama From Territory to Statehood:
An Alabama Heritage Bicentennial Collection
Well Worth Stopping to See: Antebellum Columbus, Georgia Through the Eyes of Travelers
Civil War Eufaula
Battle for the Southern Frontier:
The Creek War and the War of 1812
Images of America: The Lower Chattahoochee River.
If anyone would like to know more about any of these works, he has a website with much more pertinent information: www.mikebunn.net.
Mr. Bunn is editor of Muscogiana, the journal of the Muscogee County (Georgia) Genealogical Society. He is also Chair of the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission. Mike earned his undergraduate degree at Faulkner University and two masters degrees at the University of Alabama. Mike and his wife Tonya live in Daphne, Alabama with their daughter Zoey.
We hope that as many people as possible will be willing and able to join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on January 23rd. If anyone is interested in participating or needs further information, please contact our Program Chair at ccpowers02@gmail.com . Remember that the deadline for getting access to the Zoom link is 12:00 noon (Central time) on the Sunday of the presentation (two hours before it starts), January 23rd, 2022. —By Charlie Powers