AMH 3421, Florida to 1865, Fall 2011

Take-Home Essay 2

After the U.S. acquired the Floridas from Spain in 1821, the new territory faced many challenges in moving toward expanded white settlement, statehood, and stability as a slave state. First, it had to deal with the transition from a Spanish-held territory to a U.S.-held territory. Settlers came from many places, representing different groups, and possessed often common but particular ambitions. Drawing on the course readings and lectures only, discuss the challenges they and the state faced up through the Civil War and whether and how the people of Florida overcame them. Do this in no more than 5 pages--double-spaced and 11- or 12-point font (in default margin settings).

! Think in terms of economy, politics, and demographics (who settled in Florida, how many, and where).

! Think also about the circumstances (in Florida and elsewhere, that is push and pull factors) that brought American settlers to Florida and what they were trying to create in this new southern frontier.

! Think also of enslaved blacks, free blacks, and of Seminoles (and why they came to Florida).

! Tell us also where women fit in the settlement equation.

! Special note: you will lose ten points for writing-mechanics violations. Keep your writing-mechanics nearby for a reference.)

Note: Consult only your class notes and assigned readings. You do not need to cite these readings unless you quote (and refrain from long quotes). If you do quote from one of those readings, put the last name of the author and the page number in parenthesis at the end of the sentence in which the quote appears. No bibliography is required.

Example: The labor of white mistresses and their female slaves was chiefly responsible for establishing “an atmosphere of southern gentility” (Jabour, 260).