Chapter XI Summary and Analysis

After the peace, the Army moved out of Florida. Slaves continued to escape to Florida. Slaves were valuable since they could not be imported to the United States legally after 1808. Slave ships that docked in Florida were attacked. The waters of the Caribbean and Gulf were full of pirates. There was no policy that gave land to men who, subject to certain conditions, would inhabit the lower east coast of Florida.

Florida became a state in 1845. It was admitted to the union as a slave state. Most European immigrants went further west rather than try to compete with the slave labor in Florida. The state needed to attract settlers and looked into the possibility of draining the Everglades. One argument was that the area could not be surveyed without being drained.

In 1849, the murder of three men caused fears...