Research Symposium

BIO

Louis Viart is a first-year Presidential Scholar at Florida State University working towards his Bachelors of Science in Computer Science. Interested in technology, culture, and the arts, he enjoys breaking down complex topics into practical insights to understand systems of various kinds and how they affect their audiences. He is very passionate about learning, helping others, and developing skills that allow him to solve problems and share knowledge with others.

Black Soldiers in East Florida, 1776

Abstract

On August 21, 1776, Governor Patrick Tonyn of British East Florida wrote to Major-General George Germain, who was in charge of the British colonies at the time, conveying the intent to create a militia to help protect the Province of St. Augustine. It was the era of the American Revolution, a time where many of the colonies were open slave societies, including Florida, which was split between West Florida and East Florida. Previous research shows that having black soldiers wasn’t exactly unseen, but it also wasn’t fully accepted as the thought of arming black people was enough to create anxiety in many. It typically covers the thirteen colonies and how they used black soldiers, but not much is said about Florida. Closely analyzing Tonyn’s letter reveals several points about the Revolutionary War that may not be seen at first glance. Tonyn states that he will raise “four black Companies” in addition to white companies, which will have “double or treble White Officers” in comparison to the white companies. By pulling this analysis in coalition with secondary sources, this project addresses gaps in current scholarship regarding the presence of black soldiers in British East Florida and their necessity, social anxieties there, and the role Florida played in the American Revolution. It is revealed that Florida had lots of black soldiers that were supervised heavily out of anxieties and distrust.

Keywords: Black, Soldiers, Florida, Militia, 1776