AHC: Florida is a free state, or bans slavery quickly after being admitted

[Deleted member 97083]

What would have to happen for Florida to be admitted as a free state, or, if still admitted as a slave state, to abolish slavery before the Civil War?

 

[Deleted member 82792]

If that happened, then the Union would have a southern foothold.

 

[David T]

The only way I can see that happening is for it to be Spanish much longer than in OTL and for Spain to abolish slavery in her colonies much earlier than in OTL. Neither of these things seems very likely.

An American Florida is about as likely to abolish slavery before the ACW as South Carolina. By the time it became a state, "Almost half the state's population were enslaved African Americans working on large cotton and sugar plantations, between the Apalachicola and Suwannee rivers in the north central part of the state." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_Florida

Of course there is also the possibility that Jefferson's attempt to ban slavery in *all* the territories succeeds in 1784, but that's another matter, and its effects on Florida would be among its less important effects...

 

[Deleted member 97083]

Of course thee is also the possibility that Jefferson's attempt to ban slavery in *all* the territories succeeds in 1784, but that's another matter, and its effects on Florida would be among its less important effects...

What if Jefferson does ban slavery in all the territories, but Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia manage to shoehorn in their western claims (Kentucky to Virginia; Alabama and Mississippi to Georgia) as extensions of their own states? Later on, Louisiana skips the territory phase like OTL and goes straight into being a state. That way the Civil War would still end up happening, but Florida would be a free state and Union foothold, along with Texas and Missouri.

 

[Anarch King of Dipsodes]

What would have to happen for Florida to be admitted as a free state, or, if still admitted as a slave state, to abolish slavery before the Civil War?

A long-term conspiracy by abolitionists to pack Florida with their settlers and exclude pro-slavery Southerners. It would have to be done covertly, i.e. the settlers would have to own slaves and otherwise resemble typical Southerners. The project would require a lot of money; that could be obtained by the Organization running massive swindles against the rich men of the South.

So - a really big conspiracy, with agents planted in every bank and brokerage in the South (and controlling some), agents in Southern state governments, agents circulating through the South gathering information (including blackmail fodder).

Drain the planter elite of as much money as possible. Use the revenue to buy up land in Florida Territory. Occupy the land with "settlers" who are actually agents of the Organization, or at least known to be anti-slavery.

Then after Florida becomes a state, enact emancipation there. Use the land controlled by the Organization to provide homesteads for the ex-slaves.

It might be useful if the western part of the "panhandle" was ceded to Alabama. This area would be very exposed to pro-slavery filibustering.

 

[Monter]

What if Jefferson does ban slavery in all the territories, but Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia manage to shoehorn in their western claims (Kentucky to Virginia; Alabama and Mississippi to Georgia) as extensions of their own states? Later on, Louisiana skips the territory phase like OTL and goes straight into being a state. That way the Civil War would still end up happening, but Florida would be a free state and Union foothold, along with Texas and Missouri.

Louisiana was a territory (the Orleans Territory), I think you mistaking it for Texas.

 

[Gog (♀)]

Unless, somehow, it's admitted after the civil war I can't see this. Florida's population at the time of the 1840s and 1850s of Americans (not including Seminoles) was mostly Southern good old boys that liked slavery and enslaved blacks.

To those saying Spain holding onto it longer, I can't see that without a total defeat of America in the War of 1812 or America collapses under the articles. It was a hardly controlled swamp with very few spaniards (most of them left for Cuba after the 7YW) and with Georgian slaves escaping into it, Indian raids with tacit Spanish and British support into America, and filibusters by the truckload. America had its eyes on Florida from as early as its independence.

 

[Mikestone8]

What would have to happen for Florida to be admitted as a free state, or, if still admitted as a slave state, to abolish slavery before the Civil War?

Have Britain retain it in 1783 instead of giving it back to Spain. Slavery is abolished there in 1833, and at some later date is ceded to the US, perhaps in exchange for Canada getting a more favourable boundary in Oregon.