WI only West Florida becomes a state

From another thread, but it raises an interesting question:

"This is -1900 but I hadn't realized how much opposition there was to statehood in Florida Territory: "In the Territory of Florida, eastern residents lived in the middle of one of the most ferocious Indian wars in American history, which devastated the economy. Non-Seminoles bitterly resented being forced by the wealthier sections of Florida into a statehood they could not afford. They were "not disposed to invoke [the credit of the Territory] further for the elevation of political aspirants." Among East Floridians, 73 percent voted against the proposed state constitution in 1839, and statehood nearly failed on the question; officially, the majority was only 113 votes." https://books.google.com/books?id=xI9_kVfuiKsC&pg=PA8

What if West Florida (essentially the panhandle) became a state but East Florida remained a territory?
 
So I imagine this means the state of West Florida coming in by 1845 would extend from the Perdido river to the Suwanee river. (Perdido to Apalachicola would leave out Talahassee and just be too small).

The Indian Wars in East Florida territory should be settled and well paid for between 1840 and 1860, and cotton development is likely. So, the south has another card to play in terms of keeping sectional balance of states and Senators. Could this postpone the Kansas issue?

Do we really see East Florida remaining in territorial status all the way through the 1860s? I mean south Florida was less developed, but East Florida still had St. Augustine, Jacksonville and Gainesville in the north.
 

Philip

Donor
Are we assuming the Florida Territory is never formed or is later split?

I think a more likely split is to have a North Florida consisting of the Panhandle and Peninsular Florida from St Augustine north. It might include the west coast to Tampa, but probably not. This would exclude the territory of the Seminole after the First Seminole War while including all the major white settlements.

If this is the case, I can't see the remaining territory achieving statehood until well after the 1860s. Perhaps leading up to the Civil War you could see it made a state as part of a compromise, but I don't think it would really 'deserve' it at this point.
 
Are we assuming the Florida Territory is never formed or is later split?

I think a more likely split is to have a North Florida consisting of the Panhandle and Peninsular Florida from St Augustine north. It might include the west coast to Tampa, but probably not. This would exclude the territory of the Seminole after the First Seminole War while including all the major white settlements.

If this is the case, I can't see the remaining territory achieving statehood until well after the 1860s. Perhaps leading up to the Civil War you could see it made a state as part of a compromise, but I don't think it would really 'deserve' it at this point.

I agree if its a north-south split like you describe, or like shown here, South Florida won't be a state until post Civil War.

Moultriecreekreservation.PNG



I had in mind an east west division like the OP's, specifically along the Suwanee, like this- that would have populated areas making it a contender for statehood earlier:

512px-1822_geographical_statistical_and_historical_map_of_florida_by_henry_charles_carey_isaac...png
 
Admit West Florida, and you can set up a timeline where the federal government decides to make East Florida "Indian Territory" like Oklahoma later became, though with the Indian territory idea you have to decide what to do with the white, northern parts of East Florida (split off into a separate territory? separate state? merged with West Florida or with Georgia?). But you probably need Whigs in power more often and longer at the federal level to get this. The CSA in its brief existence doesn't change this arrangement since they have no incentive to and IOTL they left Oklahoma alone.
 

Philip

Donor
I had in mind an east west division like the OP's, specifically along the Suwanee, like this- that would have populated areas making it a contender for statehood earlier
This makes sense especially if you're trying to add an extra state to balance the Senate. I'm not sure when this thinking set in .

Does this make Kansas less bloody? The South will want to keep East Florida off the table as long as possible. Slave owners will still want to expand their holdings even if there isn't official support.

Admit West Florida, and you can set up a timeline where the federal government decides to make East Florida "Indian Territory" like Oklahoma later became

I'm not sure this would work. Northern East Florida already has a significant and long established white population. The Crackers have been moving south for nearly a century. There is a small but established population along the coasts.

Then there is the runaway slave issue.

decide what to do with the white, northern parts of East Florida (split off into a separate territory? separate state? merged with West Florida or with Georgia?).
It would be constitutionally difficult to merge it into an existing state.
 

Grey Wolf

Gone Fishin'
Donor
The USA could have declined to act in or buy the East of Florida, while forcing Spain to relinquish the self-declared state of West Florida.

Down the line maybe both West Florida and Georgia make their own territorial claims

Perhaps as part of a later war with Spain over Cuba you end up with East Florida divided into 3 - lands to West Florida, lands to Georgia, and a new Southern Florida state
 
If we go for a partition model (I think north-south would fit) that leaves one of the parts not a state until after the civil war, I imagine the settler population of the territory would be pro-Confederate, but maybe the federal presence on the ground would be a little stronger. Could that territory become a Freedman and Carpetbagger-landia during reconstruction?
 
Would it be feasible to make West Florida a state, while arranging it so that the northern half of East Florida is annexed by Georgia as the rest of the peninsula becomes a sort of Indian Territory?
 
I agree if its a north-south split like you describe, or like shown here, South Florida won't be a state until post Civil War.

View attachment 517822


I had in mind an east west division like the OP's, specifically along the Suwanee, like this- that would have populated areas making it a contender for statehood earlier:

View attachment 517823
Didn´t? decade of Darkness pulled that? as *USA wanted to have more states to keep the 13 stars?
 
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