Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-01-27
MORE FLORIDA HISTORY
DIR. GREEN CONTINUES HISTORI-
CAL SKETCH OF STATE.
Traces History OF Peninsular State
From 1875 to the End of the
Civil War.

In my last letter / gave brief
outline of the earlier chronological
! history and settlement of the state of
Florida, which was a constant sue
cession of flag changes between |
Spain and France with a division |
now and then when John Bull took a |
hand in the game. These lively |
scraps continued with brief intervals |
of quiet down to the year 1895. In
that year a division of territory oc-
Cured, for Spain coded to France |
all the country west OF what now
constitutes the state of Florida. !,
From 1895 to 1911 the settlers en-
joyed comparative peace, undisturb-
ed at least by any foreign Interior !
ence, and had little, if any trouble )
caused by internal foes. But in that !
year a new Richmond appeared on
the field in the person of the Presi |
dent of the United States, who was
authorized by congress to seize West |
Florida if any foreign powers at
tempted 20 occupy it. This aggressive
step on the part of congress is said
to have been the first intimation of
that far-reaching provision for self
protection, which afterwards became
| known as the Monroe doctrine. In
August, 1918, British fleet enter
ed Pensacola Bay, at the request of
the Spanish governor and garrison
cd the forts. Now this act was in
| terpreted by congress as an open
violation of the law it had passed
| three years previously authorizing
the President to prevent all foreign
| aggression or interference with the
affairs of West Florida. So it came
to pass that Andrew Jackson with
| 5000 Tennessee volunteers captur-
| ed Pensacola which induced the
British tc blow up Fort Barrancas.
In 1918, General Jackson aided by
the Creek Indians made another in
road into Florida, and after blowing
up two or three Spanish forts and
| taking a few small towns, he &C
Cused the Spanish Governor of Pen
sacola of obstructing the passage Of
marched back and took the city, and
held it for the United States. Where
upon Spain, dispairing of holding
the country, sold both East and West
Florida to the United States for
!$5,000,000, stipulating that all her
| grants must be respected. When this
had been accomplished, "Old Hick-
ory'' was appointed governor, hold
ing the Office for one year, when IN
1922, congress declared Florida q
territory of the United States, and
General Jackson was succeeded by
William p. Daval, as governor.
There is an incident connected with
Andrew Jackson's sojourn in Florida
which to this writer is quite interest
ing.
/ am told that at the time he was
engaged in his campaigns in this To-
cality he made his headquarters at
Palatka, occupying the house now
owned by my sister, part of which
is used as her residence, where We
are spending the winter and where |
am writing this letter. The house
is old but in good repairs; it is
| typical, old-fashioned southern home,
with port porch ninety feet in
| length, which offers a grateful shade
| in hot weather and a comfortable
lounging place at all times. The
house is delightfully."- located, over
looking the st. Johns river and yet
quite near the business part Of the
city. The history of the state from
1922 to 1851 with the exception Of
the Seminole war which was quite |
similar to the internal ruptures of |
the other states in their earlier set
Elements, was characterized chiefly |
by the development of it's resources
The Seminole war, it is said, began
in 1885, with the murder of General
Thompson at Fort King, and the
massacre of Major Dade's command
a little later. Toward the close of
this war all the Indians except a
remnant were removed to the west,
but these carried on a desultory war
till 1912
IL December, 1889, delegates from
the Territory of Florida, met in con-
vention and adopted state consti-
tuition, and in 1S45 the first COVER
nor OF the new state was chosen. II
January. 1861, state convention
met at Tallahassee, the capital, and
by vote of 62 to amended the con-
stitution by inserting the words
Confederate States" wherever the
words UNITED States" appeared In
that document. Then followed the
Civil War. In 1866, President An
drew Johnson declared "the insur-
rection which heretofore existed in |
the state of Florida to he at an end"