Dominion of British West Florida
The Dominion of British West Florida is a separatist micronation founded in 2005 "on an eccentric interpretation of actual historic events"[1] and based in the Gulf Coast of the United States. It claims the territory of the 18th-century colony of West Florida, which includes land that the US currently splits between parts of the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi,[2] and Florida.
Dominion of British West Florida | |
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 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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Motto: Dieu et mon Droit God, and my Right | |
Anthem: God Save The Queen | |
| Status | Current |
| Capital | Pensacola |
| Official languages | English |
| Organizational structure | Monarchy |
| Establishment | |
• Declared | November 29, 2005[1] |
The Dominion claims to be "striving for Dominion Status as a Commonwealth Realm, on a par with Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and The Bahamas".[3] The organization neither is acknowledged by any government nor exercises any authority over its claimed territory, and its activities are largely limited to the internet.
History
The micronation was founded in November 2005 in order to "reassert Britain's rights" over the region, by an individual identified on the micronation's website only as "Robert VII, Duke of Florida".[4] The website asserts that Duke Robert "inherited the Peerage of the Dominion" in 1969, and "accepted the position of Governor General" in 1994. The micronation has issued cinderella stamps and has minted several base metal coins, produced by Jorge Vidal and issued in denominations based on pre-decimal pounds.[1][3]
The US got Florida from Spain, after Spain got Florida from Great Britain in the Peace of Paris. But the founders of the micronation assert that control of the region had actually defaulted to the United Kingdom in 1808, upon the removal from office of King Charles IV of Spain.[4] This interpretation of historic events is not supported by any mainstream historian.[5]
References
- "Unrecognised States Numismatic Society". Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- Ryan, John; Dunford, George; Sellars, Simon (2006). Micronations. Lonely Planet. p. 139. ISBN 1-74104-730-7.
- "Chiefa Coins". Retrieved 2008-07-31.
- "Dominion of British West Florida". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- Mathson, S and Lorenzen, M.G. (2008). We Won't Be Fooled Again: Teaching Critical Thinking via Evaluation of Hoax and Historical Revisionist Websites in a Library Credit Course. College and Undergraduate Libraries, 15 (1/2): 211-230.
