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Republic of West Florida
9/24/2010 12:04:16 AM
I never new there was a Republic of West Florida. I new about the Texas and California Republic's, but not one in
Louisiana. Here is an interesting article in the news today about the 200 year anniversary of the Republic of West Florida. Link
Little known republic in La. celebrates 200 years
By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer Mary Foster, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 22, 5:54 pm ET
.BATON ROUGE, La. – While Texans are fiercely proud their state was once its own republic, and California celebrates the same former status on its flag, relatively few Louisianans know that a group of their forebears overthrew Spanish rule to carve out a tiny, independent nation 200 years ago. With the bicentennial coming up Thursday, historians and descendants of the rebels are hoping to change that.
"It is the most dramatic event in Louisiana history that has been so little recognized," said Sam Hyde, director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University. "We have been lost to all the Cajuns and the debauchery of New Orleans, but it is a unique event that had a lasting effect on this area and others."
In the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 1810, 75 armed rebels slipped into the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge, and in what was described as a "sharp and bloody firefight," subdued the garrison. They lowered the Spanish flag and raised the Bonnie Blue Flag — a single white star on a blue field — that had been adopted for the new nation they called West Florida.
<<Snipped to comply with CoC 10 ~ medicmandan>>
Louisiana. Here is an interesting article in the news today about the 200 year anniversary of the Republic of West Florida. Link
Little known republic in La. celebrates 200 years
By MARY FOSTER, Associated Press Writer Mary Foster, Associated Press Writer
Wed Sep 22, 5:54 pm ET
.BATON ROUGE, La. – While Texans are fiercely proud their state was once its own republic, and California celebrates the same former status on its flag, relatively few Louisianans know that a group of their forebears overthrew Spanish rule to carve out a tiny, independent nation 200 years ago. With the bicentennial coming up Thursday, historians and descendants of the rebels are hoping to change that.
"It is the most dramatic event in Louisiana history that has been so little recognized," said Sam Hyde, director of the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University. "We have been lost to all the Cajuns and the debauchery of New Orleans, but it is a unique event that had a lasting effect on this area and others."
In the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 1810, 75 armed rebels slipped into the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge, and in what was described as a "sharp and bloody firefight," subdued the garrison. They lowered the Spanish flag and raised the Bonnie Blue Flag — a single white star on a blue field — that had been adopted for the new nation they called West Florida.
<<Snipped to comply with CoC 10 ~ medicmandan>>
9/28/2010 5:10:54 PM
An interesting bit of trivia to add to your story is that the "bonnie blue" which can be seen both in Texas as well as Confederate history originally came from the WF republic. It had grown to symbolize independence and the casting off of one oppressors.
11/4/2010 10:57:25 PM
A bit like the State of Franklin. 
That is an interesting read as well.
That is an interesting read as well.
11/5/2010 4:25:15 PM
Interesting. If this republic was annexed by the United States 74 days after they declared independence in the days before modern communications, there had to have been a lot of behind the scenes support from the US government beforehand.
