Audio
Changing Flags
Transcript
Emily Ward (0:19) - Welcome to Castillo conversations. My name is Emily Ward and I'm a Public History major at Flagler College and I've been interning at the Castillo de San Marcos. I'm joined today by a special friend and a fellow resident of St. Augustine, Bobby Batson. We're going to talk to you about some of the most commonly asked questions about the history of the Castillo. So Bobby, what do you want to talk about today? Bobby Batson (0:41) - So I know Florida as a territory over the years transferred from different powers, did the British ever gain control of the Castillo? Emily Ward (0:49) - Yes, from 1763 to 1784, the Castillo and St. Augustine were British territory. Bobby Batson (0:57) - Hmm, and I know the British lost in their attempts during the 1702 siege and the 1740 siege. So how did they finally defeat the Spanish in battle? Emily Ward (1:08) - They didn't. It was a condition of the treaty that ended the Seven Years War, or as some call it the French and Indian War. You see, the Spanish allied themselves with the French during that conflict, which was very unfortunate for them as that turned out to be the losing side. During the war, the British managed to capture Havana, Cuba and Manila in the Philippines. Those two port cities were far more important to Spain than anything in Florida. So they made a deal. Florida was relinquished to British control and Havana and Manila were returned to the Spanish. A signature on a piece of paper transferred control of this fortification, not a battle outside of its walls. Bobby Batson (1:45) - And I know the British only really had the Fort for roughly 20 years or so what was the most significant event during the British period? Emily Ward (1:53) - At the start of the American Revolution, England decided to utilize Florida as a staging area for British troops assigned to the south. The town quickly overflowed with British troops and a growing stream of loyalist refugees fleeing the fighting in the Carolinas and Georgia. St. Augustine and Fort St. Mark, which is what the British renamed the Castillo were used as a supply base in a prisoner of war camp for captured rebels. Among these were three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Hayward Jr, Arthur Middleton and Edward Rutledge. South Carolina's Lieutenant Governor Christopher Gatson, was held in solitary confinement inside the fort's jail for 42 weeks. Bobby Batson (2:32) - And we know that the British lost the war, so, did they lose Florida to the Americans? Emily Ward (2:38) - No, Spain got involved in the Revolutionary War, but this time, they allied themselves with the winning side and they managed to capture the British Bahama Islands. When the Peace of Paris was drawn up in 1783, it was decided that the British could have the Bahamas back in exchange for returning Florida to Spanish control. Spain returns to Florida and controls it until they sell it to the United States in 1821. Bobby Batson (3:02) - Well, thank you for educating me on the transfer of powers between, you know, so many different countries back in the time. So thank you for answering my questions. Emily Ward (3:12) - Thank you for asking, and thank you to everyone for listening to this episode of Castillo Conversations, Changing Flags.
Description
Join Emily Ward, Flagler College Public History Intern at Castillo de San Marcos, and Bobby Batson, fellow resident of St. Augustine, to explore how the fort changed hands.
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