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FL sent their first naval stores shipment to Vera Cruz
Source: The Governorship of Spanish Florida #122
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With royal support Governor Fernandez expanded the trade in naval stores to include New Spain. Late in 1757 or early in 1758, his first launch arrived in Vera Cruz carrying pitch and tar. In the Mexican port the appearance of this vessel both shocked and perplexed royal officials. For almost two centuries dock hands had loaded ships bound for Florida with immense quantities of money and supplies. Since 1570 more than ten million pesos in money and goods had passed through Vera Cruz on their way to Saint Augustine. Now the hitherto unimaginative Floridians had seemingly shaken off their economic lethargy and had come to Vera Cruz selling naval stores, products they had extracted from their own barren province. For the port officials, the matter became a vexing problem. The captain of the launch claimed that the king had awarded shippers of Florida naval stores relief from all port taxes for ten years. The customs’ officers at Vera Cruz, however, had received no orders to this effect and were reluctant to grant an exemption. Besides, it was hardly credible that the Floridians should have articles for sale in the first place. Clearly this was a matter that demanded a decision from the viceroy in Mexico City. In his report the viceroy suggested that an exemption from port taxes be allowed for two years but that the alcabala and “a moderate tax” be placed on all naval stores carried by the Floridians. This, in turn, was submitted to the king before action was taken on the cargo in Vera Cruz. Charles III pursued a middle course. In July, 1760, he granted Florida shippers relief from port taxes for ten years rather than the two years advised by the viceroy, but he ordered dealers in pitch and tar to pay the sales taxes and another “moderate tax,” not clearly defined in the king’s orders. Thus, the way seemed open for the development of the naval stores industry now that the test case in Vera Cruz had worked out in favor of the Floridians. But not long after the king’s cedula reached the governor in Saint Augustine, the colony shifted to English control. Hopes for an economic revival based on the naval stores industry were never realized, and the first Spanish period ended with Florida struggling to find new means of support for the colony other than the subsidy system that had maintained it for almost 200 years. (Tepaske GSF)
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