The St. Joseph Convention: The Making of Florida’s First Constitution

At the time of its cession to the United States in 1821 Florida’s white population was probably about five thousand. There were only two towns, or settlements, of any importance in the territory, and they were near four hundred miles apart. Considering that, with one exception, Florida was the largest territory or State east of the Mississippi river, it can be imagined what an undeveloped country it must have been; remember too that the interior of the peninsula was yet unexplored and its geography unknown