Adams-Onís Treaty

Resilience: Black Heritage in St. Augustineblog

Feb 22

In 1693, the Spanish colony of “La Florida” provided sanctuary to any one fleeing the previously British colonies in exchange for military service. This was desirable to many slaves and Native Americans, who were misused by the British and later American colonies. Many Black people, enslaved in chattel slavery on British plantations, would escape south to take advantage of Spain’s offer for sanctuary. Eventually, the escaped slaves would be granted freedom through their valor and service, resulting in a diverse community where white and Black communities would live amongst one another. Later, some of these communities would leave for Cuba once the British overtook Florida in 1763.

However, after the American Revolution, these British citizens now became Americans. These new Americans, still regarding Spain as the enemy, were displaced after the United States regranted Spain “La Florida” in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. In an attempt to separate themselves from the Spanish government, these citizens would move to the Panhandle in 1810, then called West Florida. Debates over the border between West and East Florida would persist between Spain and the United States, who claimed ownership of West Florida under the Louisiana Purchase.
Many Native Americans and Black slaves living in West Florida would flee the now American territory into East Florida, as escaped slaves would find more opportunities for equal treatment and freedom alongside the already freed Black and Native American communities East Florida. These “lawless” Indigenous and runaway populations threatened slave holding interests in Georgia and West Florida. In 1818, U.S. General Andrew Jackson would launch an attack on the Seminoles and escaped slaves, in what is now called the Seminole Wars. Jackson crossed over into Spanish territory in East Florida to try and recapture escaped slaves, attacking the Seminoles and a Negro Fort with the largest community of Marroons in North America. The site of this fort is believed to be located in the Apalachicola National Forest, near Prospect’s Bluff.

Although he was ordered to not attack Spanish property, Jackson would overstep and take over La Florida, displacing the Spanish governor and placing his own American officer in charge of the Spanish territory. General Jackson paved the way for the American government to take Florida for itself. In response to Jackson’s actions, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams would demand that Spain either sign over East Florida or prove that they can keep raiders under control before receiving control over their land back. On this day in history, February 22th, 1819, Spain would sign “La Florida” to the United States through the Adams-Onís treaty, in exchange for a piece of what is now Texas. Hands tied, Spanish Minister Luis de Onís chose to sign over East Florida and renounce claims on the occupied West Florida, with later approval from Madrid.

However, Florida’s diverse community would become a challenge for the States, whose Southern colonies did not have a significant population of freed Blacks. Article 6 of the Adams-Onís treaty states, “The Inhabitants of the Territories which His Catholic Majesty cedes to the United States by this Treaty, shall be incorporated in the Union of the United States, as soon as may be consistent with the principle of the Federal Constitution, and admitted to the enjoyment of all the privileges, rights and immunities of the Citizens of the United States.” While this statement seems to grant citizenship and freedom to Black and Native American communities, its implementation would prove to be almost nonexistent, and a sense of the East Florida border would continue on into the U.S.’s occupation of Florida.

Many free Blacks chose to leave Florida rather than risk life under the harsh restrictions implemented by the U.S. government. There was no mention of free Blacks in the new U.S. territory legislature until 1827 in the “Act Concerning Slaves, Free Negroes and Mulattoes.” This act would take any many rights of Free Blacks and Mulattoes, restricting them from owning firearms, “consort[ing] with whites in the performance of unlawful acts” and using provoking language towards whites. The act would also categorize free Blacks and Mulattoes as “slaves” as well, including them in the Black codes. The United State’s response to the diverse community Spain fostered was to return to their “two-caste system of race relations.” Some places in Florida, like St. Augustine, would enjoy exceptions, as demonstrated by this passage in a 1828 Territorial Act, which states that St. Augustine would be an exception to some of the harsh rules, including restrictions on Black people owning firearms.