A BACKWARD GLANCE. ' 39 



very different use of their prize. General James Grant 

 was appointed Colonial Governor, immigration was invited, 

 land grants made to officers and soldiers upon condition of 

 settlement, books descriptive of Florida were issued and 

 distributed, good roads built (some still remaining), agri- 

 culture was fostered, the culture of indigo encouraged. 



During the Revolution no less than seven thousand 

 tories and loyalists found refuge in Florida, which re- 

 mained under English supremacy. 



In 1780 Governor Tonyn called together the first Gen- 

 eral Assembly of Florida. 



And now the beautiful State at last was prosperous. 

 Indigo culture was a splendid success ; the turpentine pro- 

 duct was very valuable. Florida's fame as a manifold agri- 

 cultural country was slowly spreading, and immigration 

 was rapidly on the increase. But nature in those days 

 was not done playing football with genial Florida. 



England had lost all the rest of her American posses- 

 sions south of Canada, so she did not care now to keep 

 Florida, consequently she tossed her over into the lap of 

 Spain once more. The English settlers, all their cherished 

 labors come to naught, being allowed eighteen months to 

 rise up and go back home to the " old countree." 



So once more poor Florida was put to bed and to sleep 

 in the Spanish cradle, dreaming realistic dreams of border 

 warfare, fights with Indians, broils among adventurers, 

 and runaway convicts. Once, in 1812, a party of Georgians 

 resolved to annex Florida, and govern it their own way, 

 and they marched down to St. Augustine to take it. But 

 on complaint of the Spaniards, the young United States 

 Government sat down on the Georgians, and sent them 

 home in disgrace, like naughty boys. 



The United States already owned that portion of Florida 

 lying west of the Perdido River. Spain had ceded it to 



