British Florida

Although Florida was under Spanish control for most of its history prior to U.S. control, there was a brief period of 20 years during which it was a British colony. During British rule in the region, it was divided into two colonies: East Florida governed from St. Augustine, and West Florida governed from Pensacola. This arrangement continued after 1783, when Florida was returned to the Spanish Empire, and concluded in 1821, when Florida became part of the United States.

Following Britain's successful siege of Havana in 1762, a deal was struck between Britain and Spain. Cuba would be returned to the Spanish in exchange for British control over Florida, which would last for 20 years. Britain's first move was to divide the colony into West and East Florida, with a new capital established at the Spanish settlement of Pensacola for the West.

British colonists established slave plantation and indentured worker colonies in East Florida. The largest and most infamous of these, Smyrnea, was established by Robert Turnbull and used indentured labor for about ten years before the workers revolted and fled north to St. Augustine. Other colonies were established in Ormond Beach and across Inland Florida, but these were generally unsuccessful, as slaves and other workers could escape to virtually anywhere.

The outbreak of rebellion and then the War of Independence in the Thirteen Colonies undermined British attempts to develop Florida. Florida remained a frontier colony outside its two capitals, and it was likely viewed by Britain as a trade-able asset after the War of Independence and the war against the French were over. The Spanish went to war against Britain in the late stages of the War of Independence and successfully laid siege to Pensacola. The last major action by loyalist forces in the war was taken when Colonel Andrew Deveaux led a force from St. Augustine to successfully capture the Bahamas from Spain.

At the Treaty of Paris, Britain — having lost control of the Thirteen Colonies to the north — agreed to return Florida to Spain. The Spanish maintained the division between the two capitals, and after a brief period of development and relative prosperity in the colonies, Spain handed the two Floridas to the United States, in exchange to the latter renouncing all its claims to Texas and agreed to pay $5 million of Spanish debts to American citizens.

An explorer and writer, William Bartram, traveled across Florida during the British colonial era and wrote his famous book Travels based on what he saw across the South. His route has been named the Bartram Trail and informative plaques have been placed along his route by the Bartram Trail Society of Florida.

In St. Augustine, several Spanish houses built during the first Spanish period were occupied or altered during the British period. The Governor's House and the Peña-Peck House were both homes of British colonial governors. Other structures are of uncertain construction date or were demolished and reconstructed in the mid-20th century. The only known structure built during the British period in St. Augustine is the King's Bakery.

1 Fort George (Fort San Miguel), 501 N Palafox St, Pensacola (North Hill Preservation District), ☏ +1 850 436-5670, TVaden@cityofpensacola.com. The fort was built by the British in 1778 and captured by the Spanish in 1781 during the Siege of Pensacola. It has been partially rebuilt, as the original did not survive, at its original site at Fort George Memorial Park. (updated Sep 2025)

2 Fort Montagu, E Bay St, Nassau, Bahamas. In 1783, loyalist Colonel Andrew Deveaux led an expedition of militiamen from St. Augustine to take the Bahamas for the British. He ordered his small contingent to row back and forth in front of the island, but out of sight just enough to deceive the fort's Spanish defenders to believe the militia was far larger than it actually was. The Spanish troops panicked and Deveaux successfully took the fort, leading to the British acquisition of the Bahamas. (updated Sep 2025)

3 Historic Pensacola Colonial Archaeological Trail, 330 South Jefferson St, Pensacola. The trail passes remains and plaques of sites from the British colonial period including the old Government House and an officer's room and kitchen. None of Pensacola's British structures survived intact into the modern era due to the Siege of Pensacola by the Spanish in 1781. (updated Sep 2025)

4 King's Road. The road was built by the British during the 1760s to connect the Georgia border with the various settlements and plantations on the Atlantic coast. Some sections of it remain today, while others have been upgraded and are used by the highway network. (updated Sep 2025)

5 Oglethorpe Battery Park, Arredondo Ave, St. Augustine. Believed to be the site from which James Oglethorpe bombarded Castillo de San Marcos during the British attack on St. Augustine in 1740. (updated Sep 2025)

13 Condé-Charlotte Museum, 104 Theatre St, Mobile, Alabama, ☏ +1 251 432-4722. This house museum near Fort Condé (known during British occupation as Fort Charlotte) details the history of colonial Mobile under French, British, and Spanish occupation. One of the rooms inside the house shows how a British commandant's house would have looked during the British colonial period. (updated Sep 2025)

14 Museum of Florida History, 500 S. Bronough St, Tallahassee, ☏ +1 850 245-6400. The museum has a section of its permanent exhibit Forever Changed dedicated to the British period and the impact of this period on the American War of Independence. (updated Sep 2025)

15 New Smyrna Museum of History, 120 Sams Ave, New Smyrna Beach, ☏ +1 386 478-0052. Museum details the history of the Smyrnea colony and includes artifacts from the settlement. (updated Sep 2025)

16 Pirate and Treasure Museum, 12 South Castillo Dr, St. Augustine. 10AM-7PM. Details the history of (mostly British) pirates, such as Sir Francis Drake, and their Florida raids. (updated Sep 2025)

Braddock Expedition — route of a mid-18th century British expedition in the Thirteen Colonies

British Empire — the empire of the British colonists would later extend across almost a quarter of the world's land and population

Early United States history — detailing the history of the Revolutionary War and the later annexation of Florida from Spain

From St. Augustine to Hampton Roads; a journey from Florida to Virginia, showcasing the South's colonial and antebellum history