(OBA®) – Baldwin County, AL – British West Florida - which once stretched from the mighty Mississippi to the shallow bends of the Apalachicola and portions of what are now the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana - is the forgotten 14th colony of America’s Revolutionary era. The area of the Fourteenth Colony included where modern-day Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Perdido Key, Florida are today.
The area’s eventful years as part of the British empire form an overlooked but important interlude in our American history which is corrected with the publication of “Fourteenth Colony” by Mike Bunn. There will be a book signing by Bunn on Aug. 19 from 5-7 p.m. at the Baldwin County Level II Shelter at 204 North Hoyle Avenue in Bay Minette.
For a host of reasons, including that West Florida did not rebel against the British government, the colony has long been dismissed as a loyal but inconsequential fringe outpost, if it was considered at all.
But the colony’s history showcases tumultuous politics featuring a halting attempt at instituting representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; a compelling saga of struggle; and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of land and sea battles that ended its days under the Union Jack.
In “Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era,” Mike Bunn offers the comprehensive examination of the colony, introduces readers to the Gulf Coast’s remarkable British period, and restores West Florida to its rightful place in the lore of Colonial America.