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British Florida, 1763-1784
Spain ceded Florida to England by treaty at the end of the Seven Years’ War (1754-1763). Also known as the French and Indian War, the war was a global conflict that involved most of the European powers and their colonies. England became master of the colony that it had raided on multiple occasions over the previous 200 years. The most recent attack in 1742 by James Oglethorpe of the Georgia colony was unsuccessful. The British, like the Spanish before them, made Government House the central building for legal and administrative functions. One of the best visual representations of the Governor’s house as it existed during the colonial periods is a 1764 watercolor created by an unknown artist shortly after the English took over the town.
Curated by Matt Armstrong, Tom Caswell, Jim Cusick, and John Nemmers
Designed by Lourdes Santamaría-Wheeler