Reluctant Americans:
The West Florida Revolt, Completing the Louisiana Purchase
Reluctant Americans:
The West Florida Revolt, Completing the
Louisiana Purchase reveals the painful events associated with the
territory’s progression from Spanish colony to independent
republic to annexed United States territory.
The West Florida Revolt began in the early
morning hours of September 23, 1810 when armed rebels stormed the
Spanish fort at Baton Rouge. In a sharp and bloody firefight the
rebels successfully overthrew the Spanish government that ruled
over the Florida Parishes of Louisiana creating the Independent
Republic of West Florida in the same region. As a result, the
Florida Parishes were plunged into a brief yet violent civil war
pitting more established residents against the rebels.
The short lived original “Lone Star Republic” endured for 74 days before being forcibly annexed by the United States, an act that essentially completed the Louisiana Purchase.
Produced by the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at
Southeastern Louisiana University, Reluctant Americans received a
gold medal award at the Berkeley International Film Festival and
a silver medal at the New York International Independent Film
Festival.
For more information about this video call us at 985-549-2151 or email us at selahistory@selu.edu
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Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies
SLU Box 10730
Hammond, LA 70402
Reluctant Americans Debut
Reluctant Americans debuted in a crowded Columbia Theatre
in downtown Hammond, Louisiana as depicted in the above photo.
The following article was written by Fred Batiste and appeared in the the Hammond Daily Star, Sept. 26, 2003:
Columbia Filled As Local Historical Movie
Debuts
The Columbia
Theatre had the buzz of the famous Mann's Chinese Theater Thursday
as
people flowed in anticipating the debut of a new film. However, the
film did not star any Academy Award winners or "Matrix"- like
special effects, it did tell oneimportant story - the story
of the present day Florida Parishes and the West Florida
Revolt.Southeastern Louisiana University's Center for
Southeast Louisiana Studies held its grand premier for
"Reluctant Americans: The West Florida Revolt, Completing the
Louisiana Purchase" before an audience that early filled the
Columbia to it's 900-seat capacity. The only thing we're doing is
putting our hands in concrete," Center Director Sam Hyde
said.Hyde said attendance was beyond expectations. Organizers
estimated 400 would show up, but more than double of the estimate
came out to watch the documentary-style film."Looking out in
the crowd from the stage tonight, I couldn't see any empty seats
and there were evenpeople standing in the aisles," Hyde
said.The turnout showed him that there is a real hunger for
local history in the area, Hyde said. The filmshows that
citizens of the region have a real and dynamic history."I
think people are kind of tired of thinking Louisiana history
exclusively from a perspective of NewOrleans and Acadiana,"
he said. "We're proud to get this started tonight ... simply
delighted at the size of theturnout."
Beginning at the Columbia, the film will be shown in
five of the eight present day Florida Parishes thatformed a
consortium of tourism commissions to make the film, Hyde said. The
other four parishes that joinedTangipahoa Parish in the
consortium included Livingston, West Feleciana, St. Helena and
Washington. Theparishes funded the film through a $35,000
grant earmarked to promote the bicentennial celebration of
theLouisiana Purchase. East Baton Rouge, East Feleciana
and St. Tammany parishes are the other three present day
parishesthat make up the Florida Parishes."It tours
through the five parishes before we send it off to the History
Channel," he said. "Once it goes
there, we'll announce it regionally. We're hoping we can get as
wide an audience as possible on this."The 22-minute film
depicted events that led to the West Florida Revolt of 1810 and
eventual annexation by the United States, completing the Louisiana
Purchase. Scenes of the movie show rebels uniting
beforestorming a Spanish-controlled fort in Baton Rouge and
marching on Springfield to thwart a possible
counterattack."It's a story that has not been told yet, and
we see this as just the tip of the iceberg," he said.
"Webelieve there's a lot more to be said about this." Hyde is
already thinking of a sequel, pointing out to the film's ending.
Two follow-up projects are alreadyin the works - one dealing
with the Manchac area, and the other dealing with events associated
with
bloodyTangipahoa" and violence in the region
in the late 19th century. Both projects have direct ties to the
events ofthe West Florida Revolt."This area sustained
the highest rural homicide rates in American history, and we tend
to do somethingto explain what happened," he said about the
"bloody Tangipahoa" era.People in attendance stayed for a
reception after the viewing, sharing their thoughts on the
film.Ed Brown of Hammond, along with wife Mary Levy-Brown and
Carole McCollester of Tickfaw, said theywere impressed with
the film and thought it was good to watch. "It looks like a lot of
hard work went into it," Levy-Brown said.The movie is
something that should be on public television for the general
public to be exposed to, Brownsaid. "The fact that he had all
the history down to 22 minutes was spectacular. It had all the
essential points and was easily understood," Brown said.She
did not know about any of the local history before viewing the
film, McCollester said. "I'm originally from the North. Even with
the conflict of the Civil War, Northerners often don't know
thatmuch," she said.
The photos above portray some of the actors in the videowearing costumes of the period.