RS 703 - Florida Parishes as "Birthplace of Freedom in Spanish America"
The Florida Parishes are designated the "Birthplace of Freedom in Spanish America", because the rebellion against Spain in the Spanish Colony of West Florida in 1810 was the first successful attempt to overthrow Spanish control of any territory in the New World. This rebellion resulted in the establishment of the Republic of West Florida, the first democracy established in any portion of Spanish territory in the Western Hemisphere.
Acts 1990, No. 1021, §1.