Source

State Archives of Florida, Collection N2013-6

Description

Letter from East Florida Minister Plenipotentiary Wilson Conner to U.S. Secretary of State James Monroe explaining his delay in carrying out his mission to Washington. Conner was selected to deliver the Republic of East Florida's offer to cede its territory to the United States and assist the U.S. military. The letter states that Conner passed along his official documents to Monroe from Louisburg, Franklin County, North Carolina, where he would wait for Monroe's response.

Date

1814-03-15

Creator

Wilson, Conner

Format

Letters (correspondence)

Topic

Politics And Government

Subjects

District of Elotchaway
Legislative Council of the Republic of East Florida
Loyalty
Monroe, James, 1758-1831
Patriotism
Republic of East Florida

Geographic Term

Florida
Washington (D.C.)
Louisburg (N.C.)

General Note

In March 1812, a group of Georgia settlers known as the Patriot Army invaded Spanish East Florida with de facto support from the United States government. They had hoped to convince the Spanish colonists to join them and declare Florida's independence from Spain. The attempt ultimately failed, but during the Patriot Army's temporary control of Fernandina, the group's leaders drew up this constitution and formed a government for what they called the Republic of East Florida.