British Florida: the TL
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This is an excellent point. I should probably do a series on Florida's role and impact at the Imperial and Colonial Conferences.
I'm thinking that, due to a smaller population, a Navy might come about later for Florida. They might be more inclined to take the Australian or New Zealand approach of agreeing to pay an annual stipend to the Royal Navy in exchange for the Brits' not reducing the West India station without Floridian consent.
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Thanks again for this idea, it wasn't really on my radar but I've been doing some research into how a Florida Defense Force may come about which has led me down a variety of rabbit holes, revealing:
- a Cuban MiG sunk a Bahamian patrol boat in 1980 and then fired at the four crew while drowning
- New Zealand had mandatory military training from 1909 into the 1960s
- I have completely ignored the Spanish-American war and how this would effect relations with the USA. Like, I don't think the US would have reason to invade Florida by this point - but Flurregions would be crazy not to consider it a possibility
The lead up to War: Imperial Conferences and the "Tin-Pot Navy"
1887 was the first "Colonial Conference", held in London. It was a deliberative body with non-binding resolutions. All self-governing colonies at the time (which included the yet-to-be-federated Australian colonies, Newfoundland, Cape Colony, Natal, and, ITTL, Florida) were represented; however only Queensland, Newfoundland and South Australia sent their Premier.
The Australasian colonies agreed to pay 126,000 pound per annum to the Royal Navy, in exchange, the British government agreed not to reduce the Pacific Station without colonial consent.
A proposal to lay a telegraph cable between Vancouver, Canada, and Australia was accepted. A new, longer title for Queen Victoria was approved.
The second conference was held in 1894 in Ottawa, and continued discussions about the telegraph cable, which would become part of the "All Red Line" to link the British Empire. The opening ceremonies took place in the Canadian Senate buildings. Legend has it this was the last thing ever completed in the red chamber. (/s)
All of the self-governing colonies were invited to send representatives, with the exception of Newfoundland for some reason. WA and Natal declined, as did Fiji, who were non-self-governing but invited because of their location of the Vancouver-Brisbane route.
At this Conference, no Premiers were present. The Canadian delegation proposed a resolution favouring Imperial Preference in trade within the Empire; this was opposed by NSW and Queensland, due to concerns this would negatively impact their protective tariffs, which they felt were important to promote industrialization and manufacturing.
the 1897 conference was held in London. This time, all self-governing colonies sent delegates, including Newfoundland. This time, every colony was represented by their Premier/Prime Minister. The UK was represented by Secretary of State for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain, and the event was hosted by Queen Victoria.
Chamberlain proposed a permanent Imperial Council of colonial delegates; but the colonies feared loss of sovereignty. He also proposed an increase in their contributions to the Royal Navy, but no permanent arrangements were made. Finally, Chamberlain proposed a Customs Union between the colonies and the UK, while Canada reiterated their preferential trade idea, but nothing was agreed on.
The 1902 Conference was honestly more of the same. Chamberlain reiterated his proposals, no one agreed to anything.
In 1907, the self governing colonies gained Dominion status. Irish and Indian Home Rule were discussed, as was Imperial Preference. Guess how much was accomplished?
In 1911, King George V is crowned. The Imperial Council was proposed again, this time by NZ PM Joseph Ward. This time, it was the UK who feared losing sovereignty. Britain agreed to consult with dominions when preparing proposals for International Peace Conferences. Australia expressed concern at growing naval power of Japan; the UK agreed to consult with Australia when negotiating renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. It also agrreed to consult with SA about negotiations with Germany regarding colonies in Africa.
So where was Florida in all this? Well, I'll answer next break.
The Australasian colonies agreed to pay 126,000 pound per annum to the Royal Navy, in exchange, the British government agreed not to reduce the Pacific Station without colonial consent.
A proposal to lay a telegraph cable between Vancouver, Canada, and Australia was accepted. A new, longer title for Queen Victoria was approved.
The second conference was held in 1894 in Ottawa, and continued discussions about the telegraph cable, which would become part of the "All Red Line" to link the British Empire. The opening ceremonies took place in the Canadian Senate buildings. Legend has it this was the last thing ever completed in the red chamber. (/s)
All of the self-governing colonies were invited to send representatives, with the exception of Newfoundland for some reason. WA and Natal declined, as did Fiji, who were non-self-governing but invited because of their location of the Vancouver-Brisbane route.
At this Conference, no Premiers were present. The Canadian delegation proposed a resolution favouring Imperial Preference in trade within the Empire; this was opposed by NSW and Queensland, due to concerns this would negatively impact their protective tariffs, which they felt were important to promote industrialization and manufacturing.
the 1897 conference was held in London. This time, all self-governing colonies sent delegates, including Newfoundland. This time, every colony was represented by their Premier/Prime Minister. The UK was represented by Secretary of State for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain, and the event was hosted by Queen Victoria.
Chamberlain proposed a permanent Imperial Council of colonial delegates; but the colonies feared loss of sovereignty. He also proposed an increase in their contributions to the Royal Navy, but no permanent arrangements were made. Finally, Chamberlain proposed a Customs Union between the colonies and the UK, while Canada reiterated their preferential trade idea, but nothing was agreed on.
The 1902 Conference was honestly more of the same. Chamberlain reiterated his proposals, no one agreed to anything.
In 1907, the self governing colonies gained Dominion status. Irish and Indian Home Rule were discussed, as was Imperial Preference. Guess how much was accomplished?
In 1911, King George V is crowned. The Imperial Council was proposed again, this time by NZ PM Joseph Ward. This time, it was the UK who feared losing sovereignty. Britain agreed to consult with dominions when preparing proposals for International Peace Conferences. Australia expressed concern at growing naval power of Japan; the UK agreed to consult with Australia when negotiating renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. It also agrreed to consult with SA about negotiations with Germany regarding colonies in Africa.
So where was Florida in all this? Well, I'll answer next break.
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Florida in the Conferences & the "Tin-Pot Navy"
Ok this is going to involve a minor ret-con:
My research had indicated that Britain had plans, in a hypothetical post-ARW world where they retained to Florida, to have St. Augustine and Halifax act as "twin pillars" of the Royal Navy in America, the North America and West Indies station.
I then speculated that, as IOTL, the St. Augustine naval base would still be moved to Bermuda. I now think this is incorrect, as although the strategic location of Bermuda is fantastic, it's also quite isolated, and a small island which historically struggled to feed itself. Retaining the base in St. Augustine makes much more sense.
As such, I believe that Florida would likely join Australia & New Zealand in offering payments - lets say maybe 25-30,000 pounds pa, to the Royal Navy, in exchange for consultation before Britain reduces the North America and West Indies station. This arrangement would begin at the 1887 conference. Florida would not likely be able to change much of the calculus in the Imperial Conferences, which accomplished little anyway, but they would likely watch with some amusement as Canada decides how to approach the situation:
Wilfrid Laurier was Canada’s first French-Canadian Prime Minister, and only the second Liberal premier elected in its history, as the Conservatives dominated the early period of Confederation. The Liberal party at the time was probably most comparable to the Republican party in the USA (of the time), and was primarily distinguished from the Conservatives by support from religious minorities and a generally pro-USA, as opposed to pro-Britain, position on trade and politics. As noted above, the various conferences involved the UK repeatedly asking Canada to contribute more to Imperial defense. Canada wasn’t super keen on contributing to the RN, as they needed to focus their defense (they believed) on a land invasion from the USA. In an attempt to compromise his party’s ideology with the popularity of British nationalism in Canada, Laurier proposed the Naval Service Act of 1910, to provide a navy for Canada, which would in theory satisfy French Canadian nationalists by not further contributing to the Royal Navy, but also satisfy British nationalists by reducing the spend of the RN.
As is usual in a good compromise, no one was happy, and although the law was passed and remained in effect until 1950, it brought down Laurier’s government, and Robert Borden, who derided the NSA as a plan for a “Tin-pot Navy”, was elected in 1911.
Meanwhile, Florida's primary military goals before WWI would involve continually negotiation more funds to the RN to keep them, their ships and sailors at the naval base in St. Augustine.
Furthermore, with construction on the Panama Canal beginning in 1904 and, the canal opening on August 15, 1914, Britain would likely see revived interest in the West Indies, and the Danish West Indies may become a target for Flurregion politicians looking to control access to the WIndies and therefore the Canal. It would also change shipping patterns and drastically cut the travel time from Europe to Pacific Asia. This increased traffic was an economic boon to the West Indies, although, due to some damned fool thing in the Balkans, these impacts wouldn't be felt for a few years yet.
My research had indicated that Britain had plans, in a hypothetical post-ARW world where they retained to Florida, to have St. Augustine and Halifax act as "twin pillars" of the Royal Navy in America, the North America and West Indies station.
I then speculated that, as IOTL, the St. Augustine naval base would still be moved to Bermuda. I now think this is incorrect, as although the strategic location of Bermuda is fantastic, it's also quite isolated, and a small island which historically struggled to feed itself. Retaining the base in St. Augustine makes much more sense.
As such, I believe that Florida would likely join Australia & New Zealand in offering payments - lets say maybe 25-30,000 pounds pa, to the Royal Navy, in exchange for consultation before Britain reduces the North America and West Indies station. This arrangement would begin at the 1887 conference. Florida would not likely be able to change much of the calculus in the Imperial Conferences, which accomplished little anyway, but they would likely watch with some amusement as Canada decides how to approach the situation:
Wilfrid Laurier was Canada’s first French-Canadian Prime Minister, and only the second Liberal premier elected in its history, as the Conservatives dominated the early period of Confederation. The Liberal party at the time was probably most comparable to the Republican party in the USA (of the time), and was primarily distinguished from the Conservatives by support from religious minorities and a generally pro-USA, as opposed to pro-Britain, position on trade and politics. As noted above, the various conferences involved the UK repeatedly asking Canada to contribute more to Imperial defense. Canada wasn’t super keen on contributing to the RN, as they needed to focus their defense (they believed) on a land invasion from the USA. In an attempt to compromise his party’s ideology with the popularity of British nationalism in Canada, Laurier proposed the Naval Service Act of 1910, to provide a navy for Canada, which would in theory satisfy French Canadian nationalists by not further contributing to the Royal Navy, but also satisfy British nationalists by reducing the spend of the RN.
As is usual in a good compromise, no one was happy, and although the law was passed and remained in effect until 1950, it brought down Laurier’s government, and Robert Borden, who derided the NSA as a plan for a “Tin-pot Navy”, was elected in 1911.
Meanwhile, Florida's primary military goals before WWI would involve continually negotiation more funds to the RN to keep them, their ships and sailors at the naval base in St. Augustine.
Furthermore, with construction on the Panama Canal beginning in 1904 and, the canal opening on August 15, 1914, Britain would likely see revived interest in the West Indies, and the Danish West Indies may become a target for Flurregion politicians looking to control access to the WIndies and therefore the Canal. It would also change shipping patterns and drastically cut the travel time from Europe to Pacific Asia. This increased traffic was an economic boon to the West Indies, although, due to some damned fool thing in the Balkans, these impacts wouldn't be felt for a few years yet.
Okay, team! I have pretty good ideas the social turbulence that happens after an alt-WWI.
But I'm very interested in others' opinions on how the war itself would play out (does it even happen?) in a TL with British Florida. I have a decent degree of familiarity with WWI, but not nearly as much as some people on this board, for sure.
All thoughts and opinions are encouraged
But I'm very interested in others' opinions on how the war itself would play out (does it even happen?) in a TL with British Florida. I have a decent degree of familiarity with WWI, but not nearly as much as some people on this board, for sure.
All thoughts and opinions are encouraged
Would the Dominion of Florida assume responsibility for the whole of the British West Indies post WW1? The same way Australia and NZ administered several pacific islands? If so, what affect does that have on Floridian politics , and does it lead to different migration patterns into Florida?
I don't see British Florida mere presence having a massive an impact on the war, save that more British shipping gets targeted near American waters in the U-boat campaign. Mayhaps a British vessel getting sunk right on the border of American an Floridian waters greatly incensing American opinion against Germany
Thing is, there is also Jamaica. I could see the Bahamas (inc. Turks and Caicos islands) and maybe Bermuda being administered from Florida, though.
From Forced Labour to Labour Force: Post Emancipation Developments in the British West Indies
Systems of Domination after Slavery: The Control of Land and Labor in the British West Indies after 1838
O. Nigel BollandComparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Oct., 1981), pp. 591-619 (29 pages)
Just finished reading the above article (available on jstor), and it gave me some valuable insight into the development of the freedmen in Florida.
The article is a survey of the British West Indies, and it discusses the relative successes and failures in West Indian' colonies turning their formerly enslaved populations into a captive, sharecropping tenant class, as was done in the southern US after the American Civil War.
Initially, the plantocracy resorted to legal forms of coercion. A typical reaction to emancipation can be seen in the Antiguan Assembly's new-found enthusiasm for contract law.
Yes, of course, in a new, free society, enforcing contracts are the lynchpin of society. Contracts needn't be signed by both parties to be legally binding, of course - a verbal contract, with two witnesses, becomes binding. (So, if a plantation owner's two overseers both heard you say that you'd be work for the plantation owner tomorrow, you have a legally-binding contract to do so...).
If you have a contract to work for an employer, and absent yourself for a day with a reasonable excuse, you are not entitled to pay for that day. (No sick days - not entirely unexpected in the mid-19th century).
If you are absent without a reasonable excuse (the court determines reasonableness) for "less than half a day", the whole day's wages are forfeited, to ensure promptness.
If you are absent two days in a two-week period, you owe one weeks labour to your employer OR one week's imprisonment and hard labour at public works.
Drunkenness, careless use of fire, or abuse of cattle, amongst other crimes, could result in 3 months labour to your employer or imprisonent and hard labour at public works.
The maximum punishment for an employer for contract violations was a 5-pound fine.
Work contracts typically stipulated working 9 hours a day, 6 days a week - although some would only offer a day off every two weeks, and women were usually worked only 5 days per week and 7 or 8 hours. It largely depended on which colony you were in and who you were working for.
In the end, the Colonial Office would intervene and mitigate against the worst excesses of the acts being passed in Antigua and elsewhere (such as Florida) - verbal contracts, after British intervention, would last for a year only and be terminable with a month's notice by either party; occupation of a tenement would be considered evidence of the existence of a contract between a tenant & landlord. The wage/rent system was the method used by most plantocracies to try to control their population post-emancipation.
During slavery, the enslaved persons had access to most of the plantation to use for provisioning their personal plots, which included small gardens planted and tended themselves, and their family homes, often built by themselves.
As freedmen, they fond that they now had to pay rent to access these. Employer-landlords could thus reduce labour costs by charging rent, or by lowering wages in lieu of charging rent, and could also use threat of eviction if the work performed was not up to the "master's" satisfaction.
The results were quite mixed - in some colonies, such as Barbados, or St. Kitt's, with very high population densities, the plantocracy maintained virtually complete control over access to land, and were therefore more successful at transitioning the population to tenant-farmers. Two decades after emancipation, between 1/3 and one half of the former enslaved were working as tenant-labourers on their former plantations, typically paying rent which amounted to between 1/3 and 1/2 their wages. (And rent was often charged per capita on every man, woman and child in the household as a form of extractive penalty).
In colonies such as Guyana or Trinidad, with significantly lower population densities, and significantly more available arable land, only 10-20% of the former enslaved would continue to be engaged in tenant plantation agriculture, and when they did so, they paid substantially less in rent, around 20% of their wages. In these colonies, wages tended to be higher (around 10 pence a day), and land costs lower (as cheap as 1 pound per acre), so smallholdings grew substantially.
The lack of ability to control labour through wage-rents in Trinidad and Guyana meant an increasing reliance on wage labour, and this led to the importation of substantial amounts of Indian labour that could be controlled/coereced through arrangements made by the contracting companies in India.
The amount of compensation paid out per slave to the colonies seems to be correlated by the number of emancipated - Jamaican and Barbadian planters receiving on average just under 20 pound per slave in compensation, while slavers in Belize, a timber source rather than an agricultural colony (with only around 1000 slaves, virtually all working-age adults, and over 60% male) were paid out more than 50 pound per slave.
It's hard to know for certain exactly how this would play out, but Florida's population is not likely to be very large in the mid 19th century (in 1865, Jamaica has a population of around 300,000. OTL Florida had around 140,000 in 1860; TTL could be anywhere from 70,000-140,000 in 1860, and I suspect around 60% black).
With very low population densities and huge tracts of arable land, one upside for our freedmen is likely some of the best (or, to be fair, least bad) working conditions in the West Indies. The ability to control labour through wage-rents is likely quite low, and with the relatively high numbers of white settlers, and an anticipated higher than average amount of compensation, I suspect that Florida experiences rudimentary industrialization in a way that other West Indian colonies do not.
There will still be the importation of Indian and Chinese labour; however, because Florida is mostly subtropical, (and, by 1860, was still not really settled south of the northern end of Tampa Bay), Florida will also see substantial amounts of Irish and southern European contract labour.
Crib notes on WWI
Ok, I think that in the long-run (like, the once I've actually finished a TL-run), WWI-era Florida ITTL deserves a deep dive. I think that to get across the line, the best thing to do is to forge forward with a rough TL and then revisit and retcon as necessary.
Florida in 1914
This year would mark, in retrospect, the end of an era in Florida. It marked the end or reversal of many trends and the beginnings of several new ones; ushering in a new order, new politics and a new economic basis for the country.
Beginning in the 1880s, the traditional immigrant sources (Britain, the Empire but especially the West Indies and Canada, and the USA), were joined by Cubans leaving their country in the throes of civil war; southern Italians as part of that country's massive release of population, and Greek sponge-fisherman attracted to the waters between Bahamas and Florida, as the absorbent and porous and yellow properties became widely desired in upper-class homes. Additionally, Ashkenazi Jews had begun to arrive from Eastern Europe, fleeing the pogroms there. This new influx led to a movement in the 1890s by Floridian politicians - stealing the idea concurrently being developed in Latin America - Florida would encourage immigration of European migrants as part of a "Whitening" of the nation. This would "improve the stock" [sic] of the population, according to then-popular (and completely erroneous) racial theories of the time.
As late as 1880, the population remained roughly 60% black and 40% white, if viewed in narrow binary racial terms. Of course, there was a small remaining Seminole population, a substantial portion of both "black" and "white" populations were in fact mixed-race, in addition to the French Creole population which remained important in the area around Pensacola; and there was a small extant Asian community (predominately Indian and Chinese) as well. By the summer of 1914, nearly one-third of Florida's approximately 450,000 inhabitants were immigrants; a majority of the immigrants at the time had come from Europe, and the population had a slim white majority, although still over 40% "black".
The war would change all that. The conflict in Europe and submarine attacks virtually ended all transatlantic immigration for the time being. In addition, thousands of recent European immigrants headed home to join the conflict (or to the USA to avoid it). The locally-born whites joined the British or Canadian forces in enthusiastic numbers; although initially Floridians of colour were barred from enlisting. This would be overturned shortly, but the West India legions, while serving valiantly on the front lines, were deemed ineligible for combat. To make up for the shortage of labour during the war, many African-Americans and West Indians were brought in as temporary migrant workers to replace those who had gone abroad. Although they would mostly lose their jobs when the war ended and the previous jobholders' returned, a significant number of the Europeans who left Florida during this time period wouldn't return. Furthermore, considering that many of the African-Americans or West Indians had faced resistance from authorities when attempting to migrate to Florida for work, even those who lost their jobs at the end of the war were inclined to stay put, rather than return to the uncertain economic circumstances in the West Indies, or to segregated and subjugated society of the southern US.
Due to the larger numbers of Europeans who left during WWI, and the substantial immigration of African-Americans and West Indians during this time, the summer of 1914 would mark a temporary peak in the "Whitening" of Florida.
August 15th, 1914, was also the date of completion of the Panama Canal, meaning that trade with (and immigration from) Asia could increase and partially offset losses due to the decline of transatlantic commerce.
In fact, the business class of Florida had much lauded the opening of the Canal, seeing it as potentially transformational to the regional economy.
Floridian businessmen had been advertising as a vacation destination since at least the 1850s, but in 1914 the country was still quite underdeveloped in that regard. With the war ending transatlantic travel and cutting off the wealthy Americans from their holiday destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean, Florida was there to soak it in. The period of the war saw record-breaking numbers of tourists and led to a construction boom, and an increase in investment by American businessmen, who had their interest piqued in their previously little-though of neighbour.
The end of the war and the slowing of the global economy could have led to a severe decrease in Florida tourism. However, two factors worked in Florida's favour: firstly, Europe still remained largely ravaged by war, so it would take time for the hospitality industry to hit full swing again. In fact, with so much of Europe laying in ruins, the resumption of transatlantic travel in fact allowed many wealthy Europeans to travel to Florida to see what all the fuss was about. But most importantly, proposed during the war but not taking effect until January 1st, 1920, was the Prohibition of the production and sale of alcohol in the United States. Florida, sharing a land border with the USA, with numerous rail links, with mild weather year-round, and with alcohol still legal for purchase and consumption, became the destination of choice for Americans of all classes of traveller in the decade after WWI.
Florida in 1914
This year would mark, in retrospect, the end of an era in Florida. It marked the end or reversal of many trends and the beginnings of several new ones; ushering in a new order, new politics and a new economic basis for the country.
Beginning in the 1880s, the traditional immigrant sources (Britain, the Empire but especially the West Indies and Canada, and the USA), were joined by Cubans leaving their country in the throes of civil war; southern Italians as part of that country's massive release of population, and Greek sponge-fisherman attracted to the waters between Bahamas and Florida, as the absorbent and porous and yellow properties became widely desired in upper-class homes. Additionally, Ashkenazi Jews had begun to arrive from Eastern Europe, fleeing the pogroms there. This new influx led to a movement in the 1890s by Floridian politicians - stealing the idea concurrently being developed in Latin America - Florida would encourage immigration of European migrants as part of a "Whitening" of the nation. This would "improve the stock" [sic] of the population, according to then-popular (and completely erroneous) racial theories of the time.
As late as 1880, the population remained roughly 60% black and 40% white, if viewed in narrow binary racial terms. Of course, there was a small remaining Seminole population, a substantial portion of both "black" and "white" populations were in fact mixed-race, in addition to the French Creole population which remained important in the area around Pensacola; and there was a small extant Asian community (predominately Indian and Chinese) as well. By the summer of 1914, nearly one-third of Florida's approximately 450,000 inhabitants were immigrants; a majority of the immigrants at the time had come from Europe, and the population had a slim white majority, although still over 40% "black".
The war would change all that. The conflict in Europe and submarine attacks virtually ended all transatlantic immigration for the time being. In addition, thousands of recent European immigrants headed home to join the conflict (or to the USA to avoid it). The locally-born whites joined the British or Canadian forces in enthusiastic numbers; although initially Floridians of colour were barred from enlisting. This would be overturned shortly, but the West India legions, while serving valiantly on the front lines, were deemed ineligible for combat. To make up for the shortage of labour during the war, many African-Americans and West Indians were brought in as temporary migrant workers to replace those who had gone abroad. Although they would mostly lose their jobs when the war ended and the previous jobholders' returned, a significant number of the Europeans who left Florida during this time period wouldn't return. Furthermore, considering that many of the African-Americans or West Indians had faced resistance from authorities when attempting to migrate to Florida for work, even those who lost their jobs at the end of the war were inclined to stay put, rather than return to the uncertain economic circumstances in the West Indies, or to segregated and subjugated society of the southern US.
Due to the larger numbers of Europeans who left during WWI, and the substantial immigration of African-Americans and West Indians during this time, the summer of 1914 would mark a temporary peak in the "Whitening" of Florida.
August 15th, 1914, was also the date of completion of the Panama Canal, meaning that trade with (and immigration from) Asia could increase and partially offset losses due to the decline of transatlantic commerce.
In fact, the business class of Florida had much lauded the opening of the Canal, seeing it as potentially transformational to the regional economy.
Floridian businessmen had been advertising as a vacation destination since at least the 1850s, but in 1914 the country was still quite underdeveloped in that regard. With the war ending transatlantic travel and cutting off the wealthy Americans from their holiday destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean, Florida was there to soak it in. The period of the war saw record-breaking numbers of tourists and led to a construction boom, and an increase in investment by American businessmen, who had their interest piqued in their previously little-though of neighbour.
The end of the war and the slowing of the global economy could have led to a severe decrease in Florida tourism. However, two factors worked in Florida's favour: firstly, Europe still remained largely ravaged by war, so it would take time for the hospitality industry to hit full swing again. In fact, with so much of Europe laying in ruins, the resumption of transatlantic travel in fact allowed many wealthy Europeans to travel to Florida to see what all the fuss was about. But most importantly, proposed during the war but not taking effect until January 1st, 1920, was the Prohibition of the production and sale of alcohol in the United States. Florida, sharing a land border with the USA, with numerous rail links, with mild weather year-round, and with alcohol still legal for purchase and consumption, became the destination of choice for Americans of all classes of traveller in the decade after WWI.
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Oh boy.
I forsee a proto or even alt-tiki culture developing out of this thats more Caribbean inspired visually; most tiki drinks are rum, sugar, and citrus based after all
You're not wrong. Florida is even closer to the USA than Cuba, so ITTL Florida after WWI begins to resemble OTL Cuba, at least somewhat...
"A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats" (and masks underlying issues) - Florida in the 1920s
Note: much of the section on the Motion Picture industry is taken from the Wikipedia page on "History of Jacksonville"
The abrupt end to the war-time economy threw the world for a loop. It led to unprecedented labour unrest throughout the west from 1919 through 1921; this was viewed with increasing anxiety due to the success, in 1917, of the world's first "Socialist" revolution in the former Russian Empire.
Florida was no exception, and labour unrest was dealt with swiftly and brutally. In fact, the ferocity with which the strikes were put down by Floridian capital drew glancing eyes from the metropole. There was often a substantial racial component to the conflict, as well. This nascent labour movement, largely black, coincided with the peak of the suffragette movement, largely white, and although both were viewed with suspicion by the conservative upper classes, the two movements often had conflicting goals. Working men of all colours were appalled at the thought of ladies - any ladies getting the vote before they did. Likewise, wealthy white women of breeding and property were loathe to be in any way socially inferior to working class brown and black men.
But as trade resumed, work adjusted and purchasing power was restored, and the booming Floridian economy, backed by ever-increasing numbers of tourists, primarily from the USA, meant that social issues which looked sure to boil over in 1919 had largely simmered by 1922. The political classes had taken notice, however, and the 1920s became the first major decade of "Progressive Florida". Political, economic and social reforms were suggested and debated that had hitherto been taboo. The House of Assembly, still restricted by property qualifications and overwhelmingly white, resisted in even any minor reforms. Rather than attempt to placate the rabble, the Floridian Assemblymen feared that any concession would lead to an unravelling of the privileged positions they held. The promise of reform and threat of violent reprisal would be the modus operandi of the Floridian government towards its own populous in this decade.
For the common man, however, the 1920s may have been the first time when Florida seemed truly alive. Thanks to Prohibition in the USA, not only were Florida's beach hotels and resorts filled with holiday-going families, but any place selling alcohol within a few miles of the American border was liable to packed, from open to close, with tipplers.
During the mid 1920s, Canada and the USA adopted exclusionary immigration quotas, which had the effect of sending some would-be migrants, particularly non-whites and southern and eastern Europeans, to Florida. The gentle uptick in immigration, busy tourist establishments, and influx of American investors created the perfect storm for the Florida Land Boom. Investors flocked to the southeast Florida coast - an area previously inhabited mostly by Seminoles and itinerant fisherman from the Bahama Islands or Cuba. The middle years of the decade saw a huge influx of cash and population into the area as new cities and suburbs developed seemingly overnight. The focus of settlement was the area where the Maiyami river entered into Bay Biscayne. Poor understanding of the climate of the region led to the burst of the real estate bubble - an enormous Hurricane devastated the area in 1926 and ended numerous developments instantly. It took months to clean up the damage left by the storm, and more than a year to rebuild, by which time the American investors had largely turned their attention elsewhere.
The 1926 Hurricane, and the smaller 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, which made landfall at Palm Beach, also ended the initial plans, developed by a pair of New York-based millionaires with investments in the nascent Motion Picture industry. They had plans to construct "Picture City" at Hobe Sound, just north of Palm Beach.
Motion pictures had come to be big business in Florida. Prior to the development of Hollywood, the motion picture industry was based in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The New York-based Kalem Studios had first opened a winter headquarters in St. Augustine prior to WWI, attracted by its warm climate, rail access (as large, bulky and expensive equipment would require transport), and cheap labour. Kalem Studios would shortly thereafter build a studio in California as well, but by the early 1920s there were more than 30 silent film companies with studios in St. Augustine, earning the city the nickname, briefly, of "The Winter Film Capital of the World". St. Augustine, and Florida, were especially important for representation of African-Americans (and Floridians) in early film. Unlike the degrading parts on offer in films such as "The Birth of a Nation", Floridian directors often created positive stories featuring black Americans and Floridians in a wider variety of roles.
Not everyone felt that Motion Picture making was glamorous. The staged car chases, bank robberies, and fire alarms in public places, increasingly drew the ire of the conservative political class of St. Augustine. In the early 1920s, a conservative Mayor was elected vowing to clean the city of the industry, and began efforts in this regard.
The motion picture industry, coming from America, was increasingly popular throughout the world. By the end of WWI, over 70% of all films being shown in the United Kingdom were American imports. In 1927, UK Parliament passed a law which limited the number of imported pictures which could be shown in theatres. Films produced in the Dominions or colonies of the Empire were exempted.
This restriction created renewed interest in companies establishing permanent facilities in Florida, which would allow them to access the UK market. The idea of "Picture City" was revived, but this time with a new location. A new site was chosen - it had to be in-land, but south of the frost line. A local predilection for theatre would be helpful; but more important were open lands so that the new Picture City could develop without interference from citizens dependent on other industries. In the end, the site for Picture City was chosen - a small agricultural settlement in Central Florida, a short drive from the coast, surrounded by swamp land, and allegedly named after a character in a Shakespeare play (which explains the street names such as Rosalind or Desdemona). The law against imported films remained in the UK until 1938, but "Picture City" and Orlando were on the map for good.
In 1921, the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was called the "black wall street" for the propensity of successful African-American owned businesses, was destroyed by a white mob. IOTL, a similar incident occurred in Florida, albeit in a smaller community:
en.wikipedia.org
ITTL, we will be able to avoid the most egregious acts of terror in the nadir of race relations. While there is, in fact, quite a bit of evidence of Canadian governments bulldozing black communities, there doesn't seem to be any history of Canadian white citizens burning down black towns - and a few of them exist.
So in the 1920s, dismayed at lack of opportunities elsewhere, enterprising African-Americans begin making their way to Florida. By the end of the 1920s, "Black Wall Street" referred to Bay Street in St. Augustine.
The abrupt end to the war-time economy threw the world for a loop. It led to unprecedented labour unrest throughout the west from 1919 through 1921; this was viewed with increasing anxiety due to the success, in 1917, of the world's first "Socialist" revolution in the former Russian Empire.
Florida was no exception, and labour unrest was dealt with swiftly and brutally. In fact, the ferocity with which the strikes were put down by Floridian capital drew glancing eyes from the metropole. There was often a substantial racial component to the conflict, as well. This nascent labour movement, largely black, coincided with the peak of the suffragette movement, largely white, and although both were viewed with suspicion by the conservative upper classes, the two movements often had conflicting goals. Working men of all colours were appalled at the thought of ladies - any ladies getting the vote before they did. Likewise, wealthy white women of breeding and property were loathe to be in any way socially inferior to working class brown and black men.
But as trade resumed, work adjusted and purchasing power was restored, and the booming Floridian economy, backed by ever-increasing numbers of tourists, primarily from the USA, meant that social issues which looked sure to boil over in 1919 had largely simmered by 1922. The political classes had taken notice, however, and the 1920s became the first major decade of "Progressive Florida". Political, economic and social reforms were suggested and debated that had hitherto been taboo. The House of Assembly, still restricted by property qualifications and overwhelmingly white, resisted in even any minor reforms. Rather than attempt to placate the rabble, the Floridian Assemblymen feared that any concession would lead to an unravelling of the privileged positions they held. The promise of reform and threat of violent reprisal would be the modus operandi of the Floridian government towards its own populous in this decade.
For the common man, however, the 1920s may have been the first time when Florida seemed truly alive. Thanks to Prohibition in the USA, not only were Florida's beach hotels and resorts filled with holiday-going families, but any place selling alcohol within a few miles of the American border was liable to packed, from open to close, with tipplers.
During the mid 1920s, Canada and the USA adopted exclusionary immigration quotas, which had the effect of sending some would-be migrants, particularly non-whites and southern and eastern Europeans, to Florida. The gentle uptick in immigration, busy tourist establishments, and influx of American investors created the perfect storm for the Florida Land Boom. Investors flocked to the southeast Florida coast - an area previously inhabited mostly by Seminoles and itinerant fisherman from the Bahama Islands or Cuba. The middle years of the decade saw a huge influx of cash and population into the area as new cities and suburbs developed seemingly overnight. The focus of settlement was the area where the Maiyami river entered into Bay Biscayne. Poor understanding of the climate of the region led to the burst of the real estate bubble - an enormous Hurricane devastated the area in 1926 and ended numerous developments instantly. It took months to clean up the damage left by the storm, and more than a year to rebuild, by which time the American investors had largely turned their attention elsewhere.
The 1926 Hurricane, and the smaller 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, which made landfall at Palm Beach, also ended the initial plans, developed by a pair of New York-based millionaires with investments in the nascent Motion Picture industry. They had plans to construct "Picture City" at Hobe Sound, just north of Palm Beach.
Motion pictures had come to be big business in Florida. Prior to the development of Hollywood, the motion picture industry was based in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The New York-based Kalem Studios had first opened a winter headquarters in St. Augustine prior to WWI, attracted by its warm climate, rail access (as large, bulky and expensive equipment would require transport), and cheap labour. Kalem Studios would shortly thereafter build a studio in California as well, but by the early 1920s there were more than 30 silent film companies with studios in St. Augustine, earning the city the nickname, briefly, of "The Winter Film Capital of the World". St. Augustine, and Florida, were especially important for representation of African-Americans (and Floridians) in early film. Unlike the degrading parts on offer in films such as "The Birth of a Nation", Floridian directors often created positive stories featuring black Americans and Floridians in a wider variety of roles.
Not everyone felt that Motion Picture making was glamorous. The staged car chases, bank robberies, and fire alarms in public places, increasingly drew the ire of the conservative political class of St. Augustine. In the early 1920s, a conservative Mayor was elected vowing to clean the city of the industry, and began efforts in this regard.
The motion picture industry, coming from America, was increasingly popular throughout the world. By the end of WWI, over 70% of all films being shown in the United Kingdom were American imports. In 1927, UK Parliament passed a law which limited the number of imported pictures which could be shown in theatres. Films produced in the Dominions or colonies of the Empire were exempted.
This restriction created renewed interest in companies establishing permanent facilities in Florida, which would allow them to access the UK market. The idea of "Picture City" was revived, but this time with a new location. A new site was chosen - it had to be in-land, but south of the frost line. A local predilection for theatre would be helpful; but more important were open lands so that the new Picture City could develop without interference from citizens dependent on other industries. In the end, the site for Picture City was chosen - a small agricultural settlement in Central Florida, a short drive from the coast, surrounded by swamp land, and allegedly named after a character in a Shakespeare play (which explains the street names such as Rosalind or Desdemona). The law against imported films remained in the UK until 1938, but "Picture City" and Orlando were on the map for good.
In 1921, the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was called the "black wall street" for the propensity of successful African-American owned businesses, was destroyed by a white mob. IOTL, a similar incident occurred in Florida, albeit in a smaller community:
Rosewood massacre - Wikipedia
ITTL, we will be able to avoid the most egregious acts of terror in the nadir of race relations. While there is, in fact, quite a bit of evidence of Canadian governments bulldozing black communities, there doesn't seem to be any history of Canadian white citizens burning down black towns - and a few of them exist.
So in the 1920s, dismayed at lack of opportunities elsewhere, enterprising African-Americans begin making their way to Florida. By the end of the 1920s, "Black Wall Street" referred to Bay Street in St. Augustine.
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"Or does it explode?" - Florida in the dirty 30s
"What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?"
-- "Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Enough butterflies have occurred that we won't need to pinpoint a date for the Stock market crash - but there were plenty of factors at play suggesting that an overheated and under-regulated stock market bubble would burst eventually. Let's call it 1930 ITTL.
With Florida's economy less directly tied to the American one, the impact of the stock market collapse of (OTL 1929-1932) isn't as immediately impactful; but the knock-on effects are substantial as the swarm of American tourists died down to a trickle over the ensuing years, especially after the repeal of Prohibition (c. 1933) provided other options closer to home.
In addition, plenty of Floridians had previously been employed in the USA and Canada, who were sent home by the hundreds if not thousands when work dried up, adding to the growing numbers without work in Florida. The House of Assembly passed their own laws restricting immigration for the first time. Some recalled the scenes of the early twenties; as increasing numbers of voteless and jobless young men gathered in the streets, increasingly angry. The suffragette movement moved to the front again as the governing Liberal party seemed incapable of doing anything to ameliorate the situation, which continued to get worse.
Old debates from the 1920s about constitutional reform resurfaced. The increasingly volatile situation threatened to further hurt tourism; which was a primary source of foreign currency for the government and the local elite.
The role of the Governor was reduced (from the British end) by the Statue of Westminster in 1931; the Governor would now represent the Crown in Florida, not the British Government, and so a new High Commissioner was sent from the UK.
Debate over whether the Governor, now referred to as a Governor-General in line with Florida's Dominion status, should continue to appoint the Legislative Council (Upper House) raged, as well as the property qualifications for both Houses.
In face of mounting public pressure and seeming government deadlock, the Florida Parliament managed to narrowly pass a measure which would eliminate property qualifications for voting for the Lower House. It only applied to men, and did not effect the (higher still) property qualifications to stand for election or be appointed to the Upper House. The controversy over the property qualification divided the governing Liberals, and a break away faction, primarily from the Liberals' mixed-race members, formed, calling themselves the Progressives and openly advocating for the elimination of all property qualifications in both houses, as well as aligning with the suffragettes.
In any event, this concession captured the imagination of the common Floridian, and during the 1932 election an unprecedented number of Political parties gained representation.
In a Lower House of 60 members, the largest share was won by the former opposition party, the Conservatives, with 19 seats. The formerly governing Liberals suffered enormously, and returned only 13 members, the same number returned by the breakaway Progressives
There remained a few independent and socialist members, but also the emergence of both Labour (winning 10 seats), and the Florida Farmer's Union, which won 4.
With the government left hanging in the balance, the Progressives entered a busy period of coalition-building. Having split so recently from the Liberals, it must have seemed natural to their leadership that they may reunite to keep the old enemies, especially the Conservatives and Socialists, out of power.
But the split had been especially acrimonious in the view of those remaining Liberal, and they entered into an agreement with the Conservative party to support their government.
For the next three years, the new Liberal-Conservative government lumbered on almost as inept as the previous government. With the scope of the international crisis beyond any remedied any of the institutional parties had ever envisioned, the only thing of note accomplished was a belated attempt to enact some of the more innocuous provisions of the New Deal and the People's Budget, including small pension benefits and some unemployment relief. Under public pressure to introduce a corporate income tax, but not wanting to alienate - oh heck who are we kidding? Not wanting to tax the lucrative tourist and film production businesses which were the source of foreign currency (and which they, by and larg, owned), the government introduced corporate income taxes - on all businesses BUT the tourist and film production industries.
While this did increase government revenues which afforded them the ability to introduce pensions and the dole, it enraged the small business owners of the country.
Under pressure from the High Commissioner to get things under control, as it appeared the situation was unraveling now across the Caribbean as strikes were developing in Belize, Cuba and Jamaica, the flustered government called a snap election.
The opposition was prepared. The Labour Party drew its support from the urban working classes of all colours, including a substantial European immigrant proportion. The Farmer's Union, unsurprisingly, drew support from working class and middle class rural folks, of all colours, which had notably fewer immigrants. And the Progressives primarily drew from the middle- and professional class persons of colour.
These three parties formed an electoral alliance to not run Candidates against each other and to share resources - and notably to exclude the Socialist party, who's inclusion could draw the ire of the international community.
They campaigned on increasing income taxes to facilitate mass works projects, enacting suffrage for women and indigenous Floridians, instituting crop insurance for farmers (who were unable to qualify for unemployment subsidies), and in general enacting a progressive agenda which could pull Florida out of the Victorian era.
The Liberals and Conservatives, in response, fashioned a similar alliance as well. No one was fooled. The old institutional parties were trounced, the new Progressive-Labour alliance won a resounding victory, and Florida had a government representing the majority of its population, and led by a Floridian of colour, for the first time in its history.
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?"
-- "Harlem" by Langston Hughes
Enough butterflies have occurred that we won't need to pinpoint a date for the Stock market crash - but there were plenty of factors at play suggesting that an overheated and under-regulated stock market bubble would burst eventually. Let's call it 1930 ITTL.
With Florida's economy less directly tied to the American one, the impact of the stock market collapse of (OTL 1929-1932) isn't as immediately impactful; but the knock-on effects are substantial as the swarm of American tourists died down to a trickle over the ensuing years, especially after the repeal of Prohibition (c. 1933) provided other options closer to home.
In addition, plenty of Floridians had previously been employed in the USA and Canada, who were sent home by the hundreds if not thousands when work dried up, adding to the growing numbers without work in Florida. The House of Assembly passed their own laws restricting immigration for the first time. Some recalled the scenes of the early twenties; as increasing numbers of voteless and jobless young men gathered in the streets, increasingly angry. The suffragette movement moved to the front again as the governing Liberal party seemed incapable of doing anything to ameliorate the situation, which continued to get worse.
Old debates from the 1920s about constitutional reform resurfaced. The increasingly volatile situation threatened to further hurt tourism; which was a primary source of foreign currency for the government and the local elite.
The role of the Governor was reduced (from the British end) by the Statue of Westminster in 1931; the Governor would now represent the Crown in Florida, not the British Government, and so a new High Commissioner was sent from the UK.
Debate over whether the Governor, now referred to as a Governor-General in line with Florida's Dominion status, should continue to appoint the Legislative Council (Upper House) raged, as well as the property qualifications for both Houses.
In face of mounting public pressure and seeming government deadlock, the Florida Parliament managed to narrowly pass a measure which would eliminate property qualifications for voting for the Lower House. It only applied to men, and did not effect the (higher still) property qualifications to stand for election or be appointed to the Upper House. The controversy over the property qualification divided the governing Liberals, and a break away faction, primarily from the Liberals' mixed-race members, formed, calling themselves the Progressives and openly advocating for the elimination of all property qualifications in both houses, as well as aligning with the suffragettes.
In any event, this concession captured the imagination of the common Floridian, and during the 1932 election an unprecedented number of Political parties gained representation.
In a Lower House of 60 members, the largest share was won by the former opposition party, the Conservatives, with 19 seats. The formerly governing Liberals suffered enormously, and returned only 13 members, the same number returned by the breakaway Progressives
There remained a few independent and socialist members, but also the emergence of both Labour (winning 10 seats), and the Florida Farmer's Union, which won 4.
With the government left hanging in the balance, the Progressives entered a busy period of coalition-building. Having split so recently from the Liberals, it must have seemed natural to their leadership that they may reunite to keep the old enemies, especially the Conservatives and Socialists, out of power.
But the split had been especially acrimonious in the view of those remaining Liberal, and they entered into an agreement with the Conservative party to support their government.
For the next three years, the new Liberal-Conservative government lumbered on almost as inept as the previous government. With the scope of the international crisis beyond any remedied any of the institutional parties had ever envisioned, the only thing of note accomplished was a belated attempt to enact some of the more innocuous provisions of the New Deal and the People's Budget, including small pension benefits and some unemployment relief. Under public pressure to introduce a corporate income tax, but not wanting to alienate - oh heck who are we kidding? Not wanting to tax the lucrative tourist and film production businesses which were the source of foreign currency (and which they, by and larg, owned), the government introduced corporate income taxes - on all businesses BUT the tourist and film production industries.
While this did increase government revenues which afforded them the ability to introduce pensions and the dole, it enraged the small business owners of the country.
Under pressure from the High Commissioner to get things under control, as it appeared the situation was unraveling now across the Caribbean as strikes were developing in Belize, Cuba and Jamaica, the flustered government called a snap election.
The opposition was prepared. The Labour Party drew its support from the urban working classes of all colours, including a substantial European immigrant proportion. The Farmer's Union, unsurprisingly, drew support from working class and middle class rural folks, of all colours, which had notably fewer immigrants. And the Progressives primarily drew from the middle- and professional class persons of colour.
These three parties formed an electoral alliance to not run Candidates against each other and to share resources - and notably to exclude the Socialist party, who's inclusion could draw the ire of the international community.
They campaigned on increasing income taxes to facilitate mass works projects, enacting suffrage for women and indigenous Floridians, instituting crop insurance for farmers (who were unable to qualify for unemployment subsidies), and in general enacting a progressive agenda which could pull Florida out of the Victorian era.
The Liberals and Conservatives, in response, fashioned a similar alliance as well. No one was fooled. The old institutional parties were trounced, the new Progressive-Labour alliance won a resounding victory, and Florida had a government representing the majority of its population, and led by a Floridian of colour, for the first time in its history.
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Nice update overall but IOTL, Florida's population in 1914 was 871,000 people. I personally think 450,000 people is a bit too tiny. But still, very interesting to see Florida being basically a hot spot for everyone to migrate to.
Thanks for the feedback! It's appreciated.The population numbers are definitely a work in progress. I think being part of the USA leads to a larger population, but I suppose half the OTL population at this point is too low. It's the minimum I've been working with.
Is the Bahamas also part of Florida ITTL? I might want to consider that in the figures as well if that’s the case?
It is, along with the Turks and Caicos although OTL the population of the Bahamas was around c50,000 in 1921, and the population was tripled OTL by Loyalists Fleeing East Florida, which doesn't happen here.
Bermuda and the Virgin Islands are outside possibilities at being included in the Dominion, although likely not until later
Edit: come to think of it, that 450,000 didn't include Bahamas and the TCI. So a minimum for the whole Dominion is probably more like 500,000; with 600,000 - 700,000 perhaps the most likely range for 1914
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