Background Information
When Florida became a territory of the United States many settlers began to occupy the State. By the mid 19th century, Florida had become a rural territory with vast plantations. When Florida became a State in 1845, its population was roughly 140,000 with 63,000 of the population being African Americans, majority of who served as slaves (Eicher & David 24). Though slavery was practiced in Florida, not all African Americans were slaves. There are those how bought their freedom and those who were freed by their masters. In its early days, Florida was assumed to be a slave state. This was an ...
