West Florida was a region owned by the Spanish Empire located on the North Shore region of the Gulf of Mexico. After the United States tried repeatedly to purchase the territory, the Spanish continued to refuse. In the meantime American settlers began establishing themselves in the region and resisted Spanish control.
On this day October 27th, in 1810, Spain hands over West Florida to the United States. After battling with American and British settlers, rebels overcame the Spanish garrisons at Baton Rouge and erected a new flag and called the territory “The Republic of West Florida.”
The newly established republic only lasted for 90 days. US President James Madison claimed the region of West Florida was a US territory since they had bought it with the Louisiana Purchase. Eventually both East and West Florida were consolidated into one state and admitted into the union in 1845.