Editing History of Florida (section)

====Florida in the American Revolutionary War====
{{Anchor|Florida in the American Revolutionary War|Florida in the American Revolution}}
When representatives from thirteen North American colonies [[United States Declaration of Independence|declared independence from Great Britain]] in 1776, many Floridians condemned the action. East and West Florida were backwater outposts whose populations included a large percentage of British military personnel and their families. There was little trade in or out of the colonies, so they were largely unaffected by the [[Stamp Act 1765|Stamp Act Crisis of 1765]] and other taxes and policies which brought other British colonies together in common interest against a shared threat. Thus, a majority of Florida residents were [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]], and both East and West Florida declined to send representatives to any sessions of the [[Continental Congress]].

Governor [[Patrick Tonyn]] raised four black militia units to protect East Florida. Enslaved blacks who fought for the British Crown were promised freedom. However, due to the passing of stricter slave codes and the efforts of slave owners, few of those who fought were granted their freedom.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rivers |first1=Larry E. |title=Slavery in Florida : territorial days to emancipation |date=2000 |publisher=University Press of Florida |location=Gainesville |isbn=978-0813018133 |page=6}}</ref>

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], Florida Loyalists fighting for the English Crown participated in raids against the Patriot forces in South Carolina and Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-04 |title=Decisions and destiny –Florida Humanities |url=https://floridahumanities.org/decisions-and-destiny/ |access-date=2023-01-22 |language=en-US}}</ref> Continental forces attempted to invade East Florida early in the conflict, but they were defeated on May 17, 1777, at the [[Battle of Thomas Creek]] in today's [[Nassau County, Florida|Nassau County]] when American Colonel John Baker surrendered to the British.<ref name="upperstjohn2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.upperstjohn.com/people/johnbaker.htm |title=John Baker |publisher=Upperstjohn.com |date=June 6, 2004 |access-date=2009-10-02}}</ref> Another American incursion into the same area was repelled at the [[Battle of Alligator Bridge]] on June 30, 1778.

The two Floridas remained loyal to Great Britain throughout the war. However, Spain, participating indirectly in the war as an ally of France, captured [[Battle of Pensacola (1781)|Pensacola]] from the British in 1781. The [[Peace of Paris (1783)]] ended the Revolutionary War and returned all of Florida to Spanish control, but without specifying the boundaries. The Spanish wanted the expanded northern boundary Britain had made to West Florida, while the new United States demanded the old boundary at the [[31st parallel north]]. This [[West Florida Controversy|border controversy]] was resolved in the 1795 [[Treaty of San Lorenzo]] when Spain recognized the 31st parallel as the boundary.