"Florida Historical Society archives note that, on Nov. 2, 1869, voters in West Florida approved by a 2-to-1 margin a plan that would annex into Alabama all of the Florida counties west of the Apalachicola River.
"The river is west of Tallahassee. From the Georgia border, the river cuts through Gadsden County, forms the border of Liberty and Calhoun counties and Gulf and Liberty counties, and Gulf and Franklin counties. To the west of the river is Panama City, Fort Walton Beach and Apalachicola.
"The society's records -- thankfully -- add, "This proposal, one of several similar propositions to be offered in the state's history, came to naught."
"Talk about Alabama absorbing the west end of the Florida Panhandle was suggested in 1821, more than two decades before Florida became a state. U.S. Sen. John W. Walker of Alabama wanted Congress to chop off about 2 million acres of Florida land, including more than 200 miles of the coastline, and expand South Alabama.
"Some folks of western Florida were willing to go along, but others wanted statehood, including Andrew Jackson, then Florida's short-term territorial governor. The U.S. Senate put a stop to that talk, and Tallahassee in 1824 became the seat of the new government.
"Alabama's drive to eat up Florida land returned in the late 1830s, with newspapers reporting that the majority of residents in that area favored joining Alabama. But Gov. Richard Call objected, saying the plan offered "most fatal consequences for Florida and would postpone a state government for years."
"Right up to 1845, when what had been West Florida and East Florida since the Spanish eras were merged and admitted as a slave state to offset Iowa as a new free state, the people and newspapers and politicians bounced around plans to give -- or sell -- West Florida to Alabama.
"After the Civil War, Florida was deep in debt to investors who held railroad bonds backed by the state. Negotiations between Alabama and Florida in the spring of 1869 laid out terms of $1 million in 8 percent bonds, payable in 30 years, for Alabama to take over West Florida. The West Florida vote approved the deal, but the price ended up to be too much for Alabama's governor.
"By 1870, Florida's Legislature and Gov. Harrison Reed were considering a new deal for 72 miles of the Florida coastline.
During the next two decades, the topic came up at every session of the Legislature. By 1901, Alabama had upped the offer to $2 million; then $5 million in 1921.
"Florida Panhandle newspapers raised opposition this time, and the Alabama annexation died off once again, only to resurface now and then through the 1960s..." http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...0595_1_alabama-florida-land-florida-panhandle
So suppose Flordia had indeed sold Alabama the Panhandle after the Civil War? The most obvious consequence, though only visible many decades later, would be to move Florida to the left politically. No question about (ignoring butterfly effects, etc.) which party would win Florida (and therefore the presidency) in 2000 in this scenario... http://d3svfn6as6o5bl.cloudfront.net/mp/info/samples/florida_3.gif
"The river is west of Tallahassee. From the Georgia border, the river cuts through Gadsden County, forms the border of Liberty and Calhoun counties and Gulf and Liberty counties, and Gulf and Franklin counties. To the west of the river is Panama City, Fort Walton Beach and Apalachicola.
"The society's records -- thankfully -- add, "This proposal, one of several similar propositions to be offered in the state's history, came to naught."
"Talk about Alabama absorbing the west end of the Florida Panhandle was suggested in 1821, more than two decades before Florida became a state. U.S. Sen. John W. Walker of Alabama wanted Congress to chop off about 2 million acres of Florida land, including more than 200 miles of the coastline, and expand South Alabama.
"Some folks of western Florida were willing to go along, but others wanted statehood, including Andrew Jackson, then Florida's short-term territorial governor. The U.S. Senate put a stop to that talk, and Tallahassee in 1824 became the seat of the new government.
"Alabama's drive to eat up Florida land returned in the late 1830s, with newspapers reporting that the majority of residents in that area favored joining Alabama. But Gov. Richard Call objected, saying the plan offered "most fatal consequences for Florida and would postpone a state government for years."
"Right up to 1845, when what had been West Florida and East Florida since the Spanish eras were merged and admitted as a slave state to offset Iowa as a new free state, the people and newspapers and politicians bounced around plans to give -- or sell -- West Florida to Alabama.
"After the Civil War, Florida was deep in debt to investors who held railroad bonds backed by the state. Negotiations between Alabama and Florida in the spring of 1869 laid out terms of $1 million in 8 percent bonds, payable in 30 years, for Alabama to take over West Florida. The West Florida vote approved the deal, but the price ended up to be too much for Alabama's governor.
"By 1870, Florida's Legislature and Gov. Harrison Reed were considering a new deal for 72 miles of the Florida coastline.
During the next two decades, the topic came up at every session of the Legislature. By 1901, Alabama had upped the offer to $2 million; then $5 million in 1921.
"Florida Panhandle newspapers raised opposition this time, and the Alabama annexation died off once again, only to resurface now and then through the 1960s..." http://articles.orlandosentinel.com...0595_1_alabama-florida-land-florida-panhandle
So suppose Flordia had indeed sold Alabama the Panhandle after the Civil War? The most obvious consequence, though only visible many decades later, would be to move Florida to the left politically. No question about (ignoring butterfly effects, etc.) which party would win Florida (and therefore the presidency) in 2000 in this scenario... http://d3svfn6as6o5bl.cloudfront.net/mp/info/samples/florida_3.gif