Florida Black Codes

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During the 19th Century, politics in Florida played a huge role in its development. Many southern agricultural practices were mimicked in this newly introduced peninsula. After Spanish control, Florida evolved into a typical southern territory with slaves and agriculture (cotton) being present. Slaves and agriculture represented a source of wealth. The Union won the Civil War in 1865 due to series of battles taking place. This led to Florida entering statehood in 1842. During the 1820’s, the growth of slavery in Florida tripled in size. They worked on plantations growing agricultural goods such as cotton which was a commodity. Tallahassee attracted many planters who owned slaves during this time. The Planters made political and economic…show more content…
It would be governed separately from the United States union. During the 1860 Election, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican candidate ran against John Breckenridge. Lincoln didn’t appear on the Florida Ballots and it caused a lot of tension. Abraham Lincoln was voted into office. Tension throughout the south caused the Civil War. In 1865, the Florida Legislature passed a number of laws known as the Black Codes. The Black Codes prevented African Americans to exercise their freedoms and punished them. There were a series of battles which were fought on Florida Grounds between the Confederates and the Union. In 1861, Florida seceded from the Union. There was a fort near Pensacola called Fort Pickens where the Confederates battled the Union for the control of Florida. Many Union Soldiers were sent to the Fort to drive out the Confederates off the island. The Confederates left and the Union occupied Pensacola for the rest of the war. In 1864, the Battle of Olustee was fought in Lake City. This was the hugest battle during the Civil War in Florida’s history. The Union launched an expedition to cut off the supply of the Confederates. The Confederates got thousands of African Americans to join their side. The Confederates won this battle. This battle was described as the bloodiest battle during the course of the Civil War. In 1865, the Battle of Natural Bridge took place near Tallahassee. The Union ship couldn’t get past the mouth of the St. Marks River. The Confederates met at Natural Bridge where the river goes underground for a short distance. The Confederates won this battle since they were able to protect their natural crossing. As a result, Tallahassee was the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi River. During the course of these battles, the Confederate Army progressively weakened. The Union won and the State of Florida became part of the United States. In 1868, the Congress established a new
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