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A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 18/340

A History of Columbia County, Florida

governor by President James Monroe, represented the United
States while Spain was served by Jose Callava. In the ceremony
the two officials passed between two rows of troops. As the Spanish
flag was lowered to half mast the American flag was raised to that
position and the American military band played the Star Spangled
Banner. Colonel Robert Butler, adjutant general for the southern
district of the United States, acted for Jackson to accept the
transfer of East Florida. On the morning of July 10, at St.
Augustine, while the guns of the fort fired salutes, a squad of
American troops replaced the Spanish contingent, and the new
flag was raised.

As Florida’s military governor Andrew Jackson was to serve
the new territory only until the end of the year, yet he made some
important decisions. Jackson organized the Floridas as a single
territory with two counties, St. Johns east of the Suwannee and
Escambia from the Suwannee to the Perdido. Jackson was particu­
larly anxious that West Florida not be annexed to Alabama and
that East Florida not become a part of Georgia. The new governor
called attention to the attractions of the region of the Suwannee,
adding: “the vicinity of the Suwany [sic] river possesses many
advantages for the location of the seat of government.” He noted
that the region was central to the two counties and thought it to be
in the midst of a rich soil area.1
United States territorial policy had eventual statehood as its
ultimate goal. Following the pattern established with the North­
west Ordinance of 1787, a territory followed a step-by-step process
until sufficient population was reached and the territory was
ready for statehood. This process included increasing self-govern­
ment for the territory although final authority rested with Con­
gress until admission. Once admitted the new state was co-equal

’Governor Andrew Jackson to Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, October
6, 1821, in Clarence E. Carter, Territorial Papers of the United States, Vol. XXII,
pp. 231-37.

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