Second Spanish Period

The outbreak of the WAR of 1812 between the United States and Enabled

THE SECOND SPANISH INTERLUDE
VICENTE MANUEL de ZESPEDES
The Treaty of Paris in 1783 returned Florida to Spanish rule, much to the chagrin of Southern planters who would have rather the peninsular remain under English control than the collapsing Spanish system. Yet, for the next forty years the Spanish remained in Florida, probably in part to the capable leadership of one VICENTE MANUEL de ZESPEDES
BIOGRAPHY OF VICENTE MANUEL DE ZESPEDES

Zespedes was a soldier of fifty years service, most of them in the West Indies. He realized the grave problems facing him in rebuilding a Spanish stronghold on Florida and preventing an invasion of settlers from the North.

He tried to assure the remaining English and American settlers in Florida that if they stayed in Spanish Florida, they would be welcomed as equal citizens. His promises had little impact as most of the 1,500 people in East Florida began to depart, the majority settling in the British Caribbean. In 1763, the Spanish deserted Florida when the British took over and the opposite seemed the likely outcome.

Zespedes knew Florida needed more people, regardless of nationality, in order to survive. He offered large land grants, a ten year tax free occupancy, and a cash bonus to any family who would come to start a farm. He even offered to pay each pioneer 1.5 cents a day for feed supplies. Despite these generous offers, it was necessary by 1786 to drop the restrictions on non-Catholic settlers. Equally significant, the Spanish Government agreed to allow the migration of slave holders into Florida for the first time.

Did the changes in policy work? Few perspective colonists crossed the Georgia border to join Spanish Florida and Zespedes was still handicapped by Spanish trade policy which stated that Florida could not trade goods with the United States. The economy would have to depend upon selling rice and oranges to European markets.