ABSTRACT:
Paths Not Taken, Part 4 – After wresting Florida from Spain in 1821, the United States imposed its own customs. The most traumatic was the segregation of “whites” from “blacks,” even within families or among the elite. By 1840, the last few biracial families had emigrated to other former Spanish colonies, split into “white” and “black” branches, or fled to Maroon communities in the wilderness or the Bahamas. Six biracial families exemplify how Spanish Floridians responded to the cataclysm. Their names were: Edimboro, Sanchez, Pacheco, Kingsley, Hernandez, and Levy. All six families were deeply involved with slavery as slaves, masters, or both. This 32-page booklet tells their story.
