BIO

My name is Matthew Turner, and I am from Safety Harbor, Florida. I am a freshman finance major and a Presidential Scholar here at Florida State University who is involved with the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), as well as Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and Relay for Life.

Money in Tallahassee: The Transactions of Territorial Florida

Abstract

A defining event in the history of Florida was the establishment of a capital in Tallahassee in 1824. This research tracks a timeline of currency in circulation during Tallahassee’s territorial economy from 1824-1845 in order to learn more about how financial transactions were completed during this era. Mediums of exchange range from leftover Spanish gold and silver to bills of exchange, barter, documentation of transactions, and even playing cards up until Florida began establishing banks and printing banknotes. The research will help historians and reenactors alike as Tallahassee celebrates its bicentennial.

Keywords: Territorial Tallahassee, currency