In the summer of 1817, Gregor MacGregor, a Scottish adventurer who referred to himself as the "Brigadier General of the United Provinces of New Granada and Venezuela and General-in-Chief of the Armies of the Two Floridas" raised a small fleet of privateers and a company of 55 fighting men to invade Florida. He was rumored to be commissioned by Simon Bolivar for a full-scale invasion of Florida to control the flow of armaments from the United States and Cuba to the royalists in the South American Independent wars. On June 29, MacGregor and his men invaded Amelia Island, the northernmost part of East Florida where the Spanish Fort San Carlos was located. The Spanish soldiers over-reacted an fled, allowing MacGregor to capture the fort without firing a shot. MacGregor and his men, took over the fort, raised the Green Cross flag of Florida and proclaimed it to be the "Republic of Floridas". As leader of the new republic, MacGregor established a court of admiralty which would for a fee, condemn the capture vessels and cargo of various Latin American regimes. The most valuable cargo were slaves, and soon there were reports of large number of slaves entering the island of Amelia. Amelia was just across the Saint Marys River from Georgia and the slaves would quickly "disappear" after their arrival. This illicit trade alarmed the nearby citizens of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, and they feared there was no way to stop it unless American forces occupied the Island.
In deed, President James Monroe himself echoed the sentiments of these citizens in his first State of the Union Address on December 3, 1817. Monroe described Amelia Island as "a channel for the illicit introduction of slaves from Africa into the United States, an asylum for fugitive slaves from the neighboring States, and a port for smuggling of every kind." There had been speculation that the invasion was being coordinated by the Spanish Colonies who were trying to win their independence from Spain, but Monroe dedicated several paragraphs of his Address to counter that argument. He set out to prove that the invasion was not directed by the colonies, but rather by a private, unauthorized adventurer from within our own land. Thus, he was making the case that America had the right to pursue and take down the "Republic of Floridas" established at Amelia Island.
First, Monroe explained that the negotiations of the boundaries between the U.S. and Spain have remained essentially the same as what he inherited from the Madison administration. It seems to be a policy of Spain, to keep the negotiations suspended. Negotiations continued, but no progress has been made. Next, Monroe explained that it is only natural that American citizens would be highly interested in the "contest between Spain and the colonies", especially any events that might impact our commerce along the Southern coasts, but the official policy of the United States was to remain impartial. Monroe, then went a step further and exclaimed that the United States does not regard the conflict as an insurrection or rebellion, but rather as a civil war between two equal parties. And because of this, the United States were not taking sides and treated the colonies impartially. The United States provided no advantage in trade, nor any disadvantage to the colonies. Therefore, as equal partners, Monroe maintained that the colonies would have nothing to gain from the United States, by setting up Amelia Island as a sanctuary for illegal slave trading. Besides he pointed out that was a "fact well known to the world" that the United States is in negotiations with Spain for the very land that was invaded. It really was only a matter of time before Florida would become part of the United States, and it would make no sense for the colonies to invade Florida. Monroe concluded with the observation that the invasion was made by an incompetent force which sailed from our own lands, in defiance of our own laws.
Here is President Monroe full argument from the address of 1817.
"The negotiation with Spain for spoliations on our commerce and the settlement of boundaries remains essentially in the state it held by the communications that were made to Congress by my predecessor. It has been evidently the policy of the Spanish Gov't to keep the negotiation suspended, and in this the United States have acquiesced, from an amicable disposition toward Spain and in the expectation that her Government would, from a sense of justice, finally accede to such an arrangement as would be equal between the parties. A disposition has been lately shown by the Spanish Government to move in the negotiation, which has been met by this Government, and should the conciliatory and friendly policy which has invariably guided our councils be reciprocated, a just and satisfactory arrangement may be expected. It is proper, however, to remark that no proposition has yet been made from which such a result can be presumed.
It was anticipated at an early stage that the contest between Spain and the colonies would become highly interesting to the United States. It was natural that our citizens should sympathize in events which affected their neighbors. It seemed probable also that the prosecution of the conflict along our coast and in contiguous countries would occasionally interrupt our commerce and otherwise affect the persons and property of our citizens. These anticipations have been realized. Such injuries have been received from persons acting under authority of both the parties, and for which redress has in most instances been withheld.
Through every stage of the conflict the United States have maintained an impartial neutrality, giving aid to neither of the parties in men, money, ships, or munitions of war. They have regarded the contest not in the light of an ordinary insurrection or rebellion, but as a civil war between parties nearly equal, having as to neutral powers equal rights. Our ports have been open to both, and every article the fruit of our soil or of the industry of our citizens which either was permitted to take has been equally free to the other. Should the colonies establish their independence, it is proper now to state that this Government neither seeks nor would accept from them any advantage in commerce or otherwise which will not be equally open to all other nations. The colonies will in that event become independent states, free from any obligation to or connection with us which it may not then be their interest to form on the basis of a fair reciprocity.
In the summer of the present year an expedition was set on foot against East Florida by persons claiming to act under the authority of some of the colonies, who took possession of Amelia Island, at the mouth of the St. Marys River, near the boundary of the State of Georgia. As this Province lies eastward of the Mississippi, and is bounded by the United States and the ocean on every side, and has been a subject of negotiation with the Government of Spain as an indemnity for losses by spoliation or in exchange for territory of equal value westward of the Mississippi, a fact well known to the world, it excited surprise that any countenance should be given to this measure by any of the colonies.
As it would be difficult to reconcile it with the friendly relations existing between the United States and the colonies, a doubt was entertained whether it had been authorized by them, or any of them. This doubt has gained strength by the circumstances which have unfolded themselves in the prosecution of the enterprise, which have marked it as a mere private, unauthorized adventure. Projected and commenced with an incompetent force, reliance seems to have been placed on what might be drawn, in defiance of our laws, from within our limits; and of late, as their resources have failed, it has assumed a more marked character of unfriendliness to us, the island being made a channel for the illicit introduction of slaves from Africa into the United States, an asylum for fugitive slaves from the neighboring States, and a port for smuggling of every kind."
Just before Christmas of 1817, a United States Navy Squadron and a battalion of soldiers took control of Amelia and shut down the "Republic of Floridas". Historians estimate that about 60,000 slaves in total were illegally brought into the United States through Amelia island. The slave trade existed for many years before Gregor MacGregor established his republic to cash in on the trade.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29459
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Venezuela_relations#The_Republic_of_Florida
http://werehistory.org/pirates-to-presidents/
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