WHAT: Fourteenth Colony recounts a significant but little-known chapter of Revolutionary War-era history
WHEN: August 19, 2021
TIME: 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Thursday)
WHERE: Baldwin County Level II Shelter
204 North Hoyle Avenue
Bay Minette, Alabama 36507
British West Florida—which once stretched from the mighty Mississippi to the Shallow bends of the Apalachicola and portions of what are now the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana—is the forgotten fourteenth colony of America’s Revolutionary era. The area’s eventful years as part of the British empire form an overlooked but important interlude in our American history which is corrected with the publication of Fourteenth Colony by Mike Bunn.
For a host of reasons, including that West Florida did not rebel against the British government, the colony has long been dismissed as a loyal but inconsequential fringe outpost, if it was considered at all. But the colony’s history showcases tumultuous politics featuring a halting attempt at instituting representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; a compelling saga of struggle; and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of land and sea battles that ended its days under the Union Jack. In Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era, Mike Bunn offers the comprehensive examination of the colony, introduces readers to the Gulf Coast’s remarkable British period, and restores West Florida to its rightful place in the lore of Colonial America.
