The colonial governors of Florida governed Florida during its colonial period (before 1821). The first European known to arrive there was Juan Ponce de León in 1513, but the governorship did not begin until 1565, when Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine and was declared Governor and Adelantado of Florida.Cahoon, Ben. U.S. States F-K This district was subordinated to the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1763, following the transfer of Florida to Britain, the territory was divided into West Florida and East Florida, with separate governors. This division was maintained when Spain resumed control of Florida in 1783, and continued as provincial divisions with the Spanish Constitution of 1812. The Spanish transferred control of Florida to the United States in 1821, and the organized, incorporated Florida Territory was established on March 30, 1822. This became the modern State of Florida on March 3, 1845.
First Spanish period, 1565–1763
Name Term Notes Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Sep 1565 – Sep 1574 Founder of St. Augustine and Adelantado of the first Florida government; died in office. Lieutenant governors: Esteban de las Alas (Oct 1566 – Aug 1570; deserted); Pedro Menéndez de Avilés II (Aug 1570 – 1571; killed) Diego de Velasco 1574 – 1576 Acting; previously lieutenant governor (Jul 1571 – 30 Apr 1575) Hernando de Miranda and Alonso de Solís (murdered) 1576 Gutierre de Miranda 1576 – 1577 actingPedro Menéndez Márquez and Rodrigo del Junco (the latter held the governorship between 1590 and 1592) 1577 – 1594 Beginning of the Spanish missions to the Timucua. Vicente González (1577–1578) and Tomás Bernaldo de Quirós (1578–1579) served as interim governors during Márquez' absence. Francisco de Salazar was interim governor from 1583 to 1587, and Juan de Posada governed Florida from 1588 to 1589. Domingo Martínez de Avendaño 1594 – 1595 Alonso de las Alas, Bartolomé de Argüelles, and Juan Menéndez Márquez 1595 – 1597 acting Gonzalo Méndez de Canço 1597 – 1603Pedro Pertrene and Juan García de Naiva served as interim governors in 1598.Pedro de Ibarra 1603 – 1610 Juan Fernández de Olivera 1610 – 1612 Juan de Arrazola and Joseph de Olivera (royal officials). 1612 – 1613 acting Juan Treviño de Guillamas 1613 – 1618 Juan de Salinas 1618 – 1624 Lieutenant governor: Alonso de Pastrana (8 Nov 1622– ?) Luis de Rojas y Borja 1624 – 1630 Lieutenant governor: Alonso de Pastrana (17 Aug 1627– ?) Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas 1630 – 1631Nicolás Ponce de León and Eugenio de Espinosa 1631 – 1633 acting Luis de Horruytiner 1633 – 1638 Apalachee missions established Damián de Vega Castro y Pardo 1638 – 1645 Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla 1645 – 1646 Francisco Menéndez Márquez and Pedro Benedit Horruytiner (royal officials) 1646 – 1648 acting Benito Ruíz de Salazar Vallecilla 1648 – 1651 Nicolás Ponce de León 1651 actingPedro Horruytiner Benedit 1651 – 1654 actingDiego de Rebolledo y Suárez de Aponte 1654 – 1659 Alonso de Aránguiz y Cortés 1659 – 1663 Nicolás Ponce de León II 1663 – 1664 acting Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega 1664 – 1671 Manuel de Çendoya 1671 – 1673 beginning the built of the Castillo de San MarcosNicolás Ponce de León II 1673 – 1675 acting Pablo de Hita y Salazar 1675 – 1680 Juan Márquez Cabrera 1680 – 1687 Pedro de Aranda y Avellaneda 1687 acting Diego de Quiroga y Losada 1687 – 1693 Laureano de Torres y Ayala, Marquis of Casa Torres 1693 – 1699 finishing the built of the Castillo de San Marcos; Later served as royal governor of CubaJosé de Zúñiga y la Cerda 1699 – 1706 later served as governor of Cartagena de Indias Francisco de Córcoles y Martínez 1706 – 1716 Pedro de Olivera y Fullana 1716 Juan de Ayala y Escobar 1716 – 1718 acting Antonio de Benavides 1718 – 1734 Francisco del Moral y Sánchez 1734 – 1737 Manuel Joseph de Justís 1737 acting Manuel de Montiano 1737 – 1749 Melchor de Navarrete 1749 – 1752 Fulgencio García de Solís 1752 – 1755 acting Alonso Fernández de Heredia 1755 – 1758 Lucas Fernando de Palacio y Valenzuela 1758 – 1761 Alonso de Cárdenas 1761 – 1762 acting Melchor Feliú 1762 – 1763 oversaw migration of many Floridanos to Cuba
British period, 1763–1784
East Florida
Name Term NotesJohn Hedges 20 Jul 1763 – 30 Jul 1763 capital at St. Augustine (acting governor) Francis Ogilvie 30 Jul 1763 – 29 Aug 1764 acting governorJames Grant 29 Aug 1764 – 9 May 1771 John Moultrie 9 May 1771 – 1 Mar 1774 Patrick Tonyn 1 Mar 1774 – 12 Jul 1784
West Florida Name Term NotesLieutenant Colonel Augustine Prevost 6 Aug 1763 – 20 Oct 1763 Interim military government. Capital at Pensacola Major Robert Farmar 20 Oct 1763 – Oct 1764 Acting Post-captain George Johnstone Oct 1764 – Jan 1767 Montfort Browne Jan 1767 – 2 April 1769 2 May 1769 - c.Nov 1769 Acting governor. Captain John Eliot 2 Apr 1769 – 2 May 1769 Committed suicide in office by hanging.Captain-Lieutenant Elias Durnford c. Nov 1769 – 10 Aug 1770 Peter Chester 10 Aug 1770 – 9 May 1781
Second Spanish period, 1784–1821
East Florida Name Term NotesVicente Manuel de Céspedes y Velasco 12 July 1784 – July 1790 capital at St. Augustine. Francisco Cruzat served as interim governor in 1789.Juan Nepomuceno de Quesada y Barnuevo July 1790 – March 1796 Bartolomé Morales March 1796 – June 1796 acting governor Enrique White June 1796 – March 1811 Juan José de Estrada March 1811 – June 1812Patriot War with U.S.Sebastián Kindelán y Oregón June 1812 – June 1815Patriot War with U.S. Juan José de Estrada June 1815 – January 1816 José María Coppinger January 1816 – 10 July 1821
West Florida Name Term Notes Colonel Arturo O'Neill de Tyrone 9 May 1781 – Nov 1792, or in 1794 capital at Pensacola Carlos Howard Nov 1792 – Aug 1793 Enrique White Aug 1793, or Aug 1794 – Nov 1795 Francisco de Paula Gelabert May 1796 – Sep 1796 Colonel Vicente Folch y Juan Nov 1796 – Mar 1809 Francisco San Maxent Mar 1809 – May 1809 interim; see Apr. 1811 Colonel Vicente Folch y Juan May 1809 - Oct 1809 Francisco San Maxent Dec 1809 - Oct 1810 interim Francisco Collell Oct 1810 – Feb 1811 interim Francisco San Maxent Apr 1811 – Jun 1812 Mauricio de Zúñiga Jul 1812 – Apr 1813 Mateo González Manrique May 1813 – Feb 1815 José de Soto Feb 1815 – Mar 1816 Mauricio de Zúñiga Mar 1816 – 15 Sep 1816 Francisco San Maxent Sep 1816 – Nov 1816 José Fascot 27 Nov 1816 – 26 May 1818 Colonel William King 26 May 1818 – 4 Feb 1819 United States military governor during the First Seminole War Colonel José María Callava Feb 1819 – 17 July 1821
See also List of governors of Florida, for a list of United States territorial and state governors of Florida since 1821.
References
External links The Governors of Colonial Florida, 1565-1821 at University of West Florida