Florida Territorial Records
This entry was originally written by the Florida Pioneer Descendants Certification Program Committee of the Florida State Genealogical Society, Inc. for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
Volumes 22 to 26 of The Territorial Papers of the United States (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1956'65) list the names of thousands of Florida residents between 1821 and 1845 in hundreds of letters, reports, and petitions ('memorials') of the territorial period. Information varies, but the wide coverage and excellent index make the volumes essential to a full understanding of the people and their era. Most large libraries in the United States have these, as do college and university collections.
Not all territorial papers are included in the above volumes, however. The following NARA microfilm publications are also potential sources: Territorial Papers of the United States Senate, 1789'1873: Florida, 1806'1845; State Department Territorial Papers, Florida, 1777'1824; and Territorial Papers of the United States: The Territory of Florida, 1821'1845. Many of the territorial papers generated, however, have never been filmed.