Impact of the Treaty of Paris (1763) on Florida

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During Lesson 1, you learned that the French and Indian War (part of the larger Seven Years’ War) was a battleground of different national powers seeking control of territory in North America. The end result of this war was the 1763 Treaty of Paris, which had a major impact on Florida. The treaty transferred Florida from Spanish control to Great Britain. In exchange for regaining Havana, Cuba, which the British had captured during the war, Spain surrendered Florida to the British. Great Britain divided the territory into two colonies: East Florida, with St. Augustine as its capital, and West Florida, with Pensacola as its capital. This division helped establish new systems of British colonial administration and encouraged increased settlement, land development, and trade throughout the region.

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The transfer also brought significant changes to Florida’s population and the lives of its inhabitants. Many Spanish settlers and Indigenous people who had established relationships with Spanish authorities faced uncertainty as British rule introduced new policies, land ownership practices, and economic priorities. Most of the Spanish population departed for Cuba and other Spanish territories, while British settlers arrived to establish plantations and expand agricultural production. Indigenous communities, including the Creek and Seminole ancestors, had to navigate changing alliances and growing pressure on their lands as European settlement expanded.