| 1803-1810 |
The name of Kemper is a terror to the Spanish Dons of West Florida as Nathan, Reuben and Samuel make early attempts to claim the area as U. S. territory. |
| 1804 |
The Kempers are in trouble with John Smith, a land speculator from Ohio who tries to evict them from land near Bayou Sara. Smith has hired them to settle a grant and appeals to West Florida Governor Carlos Grandpré. The Kempers claim that the area belongs to the United States as a part of the Louisiana purchase. Grandpré orders force to remove them, but has second thoughts. Rueben Kemper who spends much time in New Orleans appeals to Claiborne, but the Louisiana Governor refuses and suggests Casa Calvo who also wants no part in it. The Spanish send a leaky gunboat into Bayou Sara, the Kempers retreat to Mississippi Territory but promise to return. |
| 1804 August 7 |
Samuel and Nathan return to capture Baton Rouge, a declaration of independence is written by Edward Randolph of Pinckneyville. A flag shows seven stripes of alternating blue and white with two white stars on the union. |
| 1804 August 8 |
A skirmish occurs between the Kempers and 30 Spanish regulars. Daniel Clark, who also has land in West Florida delivers a letter to Grandpré from Nathan Kemper offering to vacate the area if no pursuit is attempted, but the governor wants them to hang. Again they retreat to Mississippi territory and the area is quiet for a year. |
| 1805 September 3 |
Armed Spanish troops enter Pinckneyville, surround the tavern of Sam and abduct the three brothers. As they are being transported down the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge the Kempers shout to Americans on the shore near the fort at Pointe Coupee. Some of hte alerted Americans follow in a boat and manage to rescue them. This time the Kempers are quiet for five years. |
| 1808 Early 1808 |
The Spanish soldiers of West Florida did not recieve their pay for the year 1807 until early in the year 1808. This was due to the confusion in Madrid but also the Embargo Act of Jefferson in January. The province ripened for revolution with or without the aid of Aaron Burr, Juan Bautista de Altamira and the Mexican Association of New Orleans. At this time Spanish West Florida is 2/5 French or French Creole, 2/5 American, British or German and only 1/5 Spanish. The colony is on the verge of starvation. |
| 1808 September |
Napoleon seizes Spain. In New Orleans Vidal prevails upon John Mowry, Federalist editor of the Louisiana Gazette, to open up columns to Spanish Propaganda flaming Spanish enthusiasm. William H. Johnson is hired on September 10 to create El Misisipi a Spanish-English newspaper. Imperial French consul Col. Deforgues edits the Echo du Commerce which announced the end of the monarchy of Don Carlos. The Echo lasted until March. |
| 1809 March |
Governor Foch seems to give up on preserving West Florida for any surviving Spanish monarch. William Claiborne alerts Washington in April that Foch is ready to deliver. |
| 1810 June 20 |
Don Cayetano Perez writes to Maximilliano St. Maxent that 200 Americans are camped at Fort Stoddert on Mobile Bay but he has refused to surrender Mobile. |
| 1810 June 23 |
500 inhabitants of Feliciana meet at Egypt Plantation. They are led by John Hunter Johnson who presents a plan for a new republic. They elect four delegates from Feliciana: William Barrow, John Mills, John Rhea and John Hunter Johnson for a convention next month. |
| 1810 July 6 |
Fulwar Skipwith joins the revolution and petitions the Spanish governor to get a permit for a meeting in Feliciana. Skipwith was born in Dinwiddie County, Virginia on February 21 1765. He serves as a Consul to Martinique in 1790 and the Consul at Paris in 1800. He moves to West Florida in 1809. He dies at Montsanto Plantation on the Bluffs above Baton Rouge January 7, 1839 at 74 years old. |
| 1810 July 25 |
A convention of delegates from five Districts meet at John's Plains in Feliciana to select John Rhea as president and Dr. Andrew Steel of Baton Rouge as Secretary. |
| 1810 September 21 |
Six members of the convention meet at Troy Plantation: the four Feliciana Delegates, Thomas Lilley and Philip Hickey. create the Lone Star State. |
| 1810 September 26 |
The convention issues a proclamation of independence. They send a letter to governor David Holmes of the Mississippi Territory wiht an explanation of their plans and to President James Madison pleading for annexation. |
| 1810 September |
Baton Rouge is captured by area planters. The Kempers did not participate in this skirmish, but are invited to help finish the revolution |
| 1810 October 10 |
Joseph White and Reuben Kemper appointed by the convention to invite inhabitants of Mobile and Pensacola to join the revolution. John Rhea writes to Madison asking for a loan to pay for the debts of the convention and for a pardon for U. S. Army deserters who assisted the independence of West Florida. |
| 1810 November 5 |
The Lone Star flag of the West Florida rebellion is raised over the bluff on the east side of Mobile Bay as the leaders try to negotiate with the Spanish Commandant. Reuben crosses the border into the Alabama Territory but is arrested. Major William H. Hargrave and Cyrus Sibley are captured and taken to Havana for incarceration and remain there for six years. Reuben Kemper travels to Washington to plea for their release. |
| 1810November 12 |
Elections are held for a legislature and John Rhea is selected to be the senator from Feliciana. |
| 1810 November 19 |
The new government divided into five districts is organized with the capital at St. Francisville. |
| 1810 November 20 |
Fulwar Skipwith is elected Governor even though he favors annexation. Philamon Thomas heads the army. |
| 1810 December 6 |
The Lones Star state of the West Florida Republic ends. Claiborne receives President Madison's instructions to take over West Florida, adding it to the rest of the Territory of Orleans west of the Mississippi. However Skipwith defies Madison, and wants West Florida to be a separate, independent state from the Mississippi River east to the Perdido River. He wants it recognized as a free state and then annexed. Skipwith fails to collect payments on claims and the release of prisoners held in Havana jails. Skipwith declines a justice of the peace appointment from Claiborne and election to Orleans Territory legislature. He later becomes Registrar of the land office at Montpelier, the clearinghouse for lands between the Pearl River and the Mississippi. |
| 1811 January 19 |
Claiborne appoints John Rhea Judge of Feliciana. |
| 1814 December 23 |
As the Battle of New Orleans approaches Colonel Reuben Kemper leads his volunteers in a skirmish against the British, is separated from his men and manages to assume the position of a British officer and captures a troop of British soldiers by leading them to American lines. He is lauded by Andrew Jackson as a true fighting man. Reuben laters takes up arms with the Mexicans against Spanish Royalists. |
| 1802 |
As Governor of Mississippi Territory Claiborne writes to President Jefferson to notify him that the port of New Orleans has been closed to Americans. Jefferson asks Congress for defense funds and sends James Monroe to Europe regain rights on the river. |
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