WI: Pensacola in Alabama?

[CaliBoy1990]

Just a quick little challenge for you: what if, by some circumstance or another, became a part of Alabama?

Pensacola is one of the oldest cities in Florida(probably the oldest in the Western part of the state, too, since it was founded in 1698) and, IOTL, was also a town of some commercial importance during the days before the Civil War, as it was a key cotton trading port in the region and also home to a number of plantation owners. It was also the site of several forts, and the world-famous Pensacola Navy Yard, dating back to 1824.

Now, the area did, unfortunately, have to deal with the loss of much of its economy after the Civil War, and it probably didn't help that it was a tad isolated from most of the rest of Florida.

However, though, what if, by some chance, Pensacola, or rather, it and anything else west of the Escambia River, had become part of Alabama at some point?

Could the city perhaps benefit somehow from it's proximity to Mobile across the bay, particularly after the *Civil War? What else could help the growth of ATL's Pensacola? And what do you think might change from OTL, in general? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.....

 

[NothingNow]

The remainder of West Florida did want to do such before the Civil War, and it's come up a lot over the years.
It fell through for a number of reasons.

Of course, had Alabama's Statehood been held off for another 5 years or so, It'd probably be the State of West Florida, having absorbed everything east of the Apalachicola river.

Incidentally, this would make St. Augustine the Capitol of Florida, and would cut the population of the territory down by maybe a third to a quarter. It'd actually be interesting to see how that would affect things, although South Florida would still likely be ignored for much of the 19th and 20th Centuries ITTL.

Maybe they'd still try to build the Florida Railroad from Fernandia or Cowford/Jacksonville and Cedar Key at the same point in time, or close to it ITTL. It'd probably still stop there, unless the legislature really wanted it to extend all the way to Tampa, which would require them actually caring about South Florida.

 

[FleetMac]

Having spent quite a bit of time there, the culture and people of Pensacola sure does more closely resemble Alabama than Florida, and is geographically closer as well. The fact that it's part of Florida strikes me as rather odd TBH, but that's just gut intuition.

Incidentally, if West Florida DOES become its own state, where does that leave Baton Rouge, in Louisiana or WF?

 

[NothingNow]

Having spent quite a bit of time there, the culture and people of Pensacola sure does more closely resemble Alabama than Florida, and is geographically closer as well. The fact that it's part of Florida strikes me as rather odd TBH, but that's just gut intuition.

It's because it had the same sources of settlement. Alabama's an accident of history really.
Meanwhile East Florida had the Minorcans from Trumbull's failed experiment, and the Influences from the Sea Islands, and while South Florida was pretty much defined by eccentric european settlers, Cuban immigrants, Pirates and whatever you want to call the people of Key West this week.

Incidentally, if West Florida DOES become its own state, where does that leave Baton Rouge, in Louisiana or WF?

Depends on the POD.

 

[FleetMac]

It's because it had the same sources of settlement. Alabama's an accident of history really.
Meanwhile East Florida had the Minorcans from Trumbull's failed experiment, and the Influences from the Sea Islands, and while South Florida was pretty much defined by eccentric european settlers, Cuban immigrants, Pirates and whatever you want to call the people of Key West this week.

I always considered Alabama a Georgia-lite up until the mid 19th. Century, when it started to develop its own identity within the region (correct me if I'm wrong, but ISTR that it WAS part of Georgia shortly after the Revolutionary War). I'm sure a state would emerge where Alabama in OTL is, but perhaps under a different name like Tombigbey, or even just West Florida.

Nowadays, the Panhandle and South Florida do seem different (and the latter, to me, is a cross between the Caribbean and Carpetbagger Central).