Republic of West Florida
St. Tammany Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Marker Inscription
West Florida Republic and St. Tammany Parish. St. Tammany Parish was among the Spanish-governed West Florida parishes and not included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Residents revolted against Spanish rule September 1810, creating the Republic of West Florida. The republic lasted 74 days, raising a new flag and electing a president, before being forcibly annexed by the U.S. in December 1810.
Erected by St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission
The Story
St. Tammany Parish lay within the Spanish-governed West Florida parishes and was not part of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. In September 1810 residents revolted against Spanish rule and declared the Republic of West Florida, raising their own flag and electing a president. The republic lasted just 74 days before the United States annexed the territory by force in December 1810.
Why it matters
This brief, defiant republic marks the messy, contested edge of American expansion, where settlers seized a borderland the young United States soon claimed as its own.
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Related events
- · West Florida Rebellion of 1810
Themes & tags
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