Page 50 - John Anderson

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The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of
1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great
Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. The treaty
marked the beginning of an extensive period of British dominance
outside European territories during these twenty years of British
occupation in Florida. The British government made rapid progress in
colonization by granting thousands of acres of land along the eastern
Florida coastline.

With Florida divided into two
major colonies, James Grant was
named governor of East Florida in
1763. He moved to his capital at
St. Augustine, established the
Florida-Georgia border,
temporarily stopped Indian raids
with the Treaty of Fort Picolata,
and encouraged new settlement
in his colony. The fully-developed
plantation system certainly
became an important part of
Northeast Florida's growing
economy during 20 years of
British rule. Governor James Grant
had ambitions to develop Florida
as "Britannia's New Eden” and
established his own plantations
near St. Augustine to demonstrate the potential for profit. Grant
recouped his investment within four years, clearly demonstrating

financial success, despite his own inexperience in agriculture.

The first important cash crops were indigo, rice, timber, and naval
stores. The British experimented with a variety of products including
sugar, cotton, and even silk. Eventually, sixty-nine enslaved black
people lived at his estate. They also produced a large variety of foods
for their table: corn, carrots, watermelon, herbs, red beets, English
peas, butter beans, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, parsnips, lettuce and
spinach.

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