Name: Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era
Start: 2026-02-28T11:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-28T12:00:00-06:00
Location: 411 Hackberry Ln, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, United States

$Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America\u2019s Revolutionary Era$

For this year’s UA Museums’ John S. Steiner Endowed Lecture, author and historian Mike Bunn is giving a free public presentation titled “Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era” at The University of Alabama’s Math and Science Education Building (Room 1001) on February 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
RSVP through our online form to let us know you will be attending: https://bit.ly/4aSfcdM
About the Topic
The British colony of West Florida―which once stretched from the mighty Mississippi to the shallow bends of the Apalachicola and portions of what are now the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana―is the forgotten fourteenth colony of America’s Revolutionary era. The colony’s eventful years as a part of the British Empire form an important and compelling interlude in Gulf Coast history that has for too long been overlooked. For a host of reasons, including the fact that West Florida did not rebel against the British government, the colony has long been dismissed as a loyal but inconsequential fringe outpost, if considered at all.
But the colony’s history showcases a tumultuous political scene featuring a halting attempt at instituting representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; a compelling saga of struggle and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of battles on land and water that brought about the end of its days under the Union Jack. In Fourteenth Colony, historian Mike Bunn offers the first comprehensive history of the colony, introducing readers to the Gulf Coast’s remarkable British period and putting West Florida back in its rightful place on the map of colonial America.
About the Speaker
Mike Bunn serves as Director of Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama. He is author or co-author of several books, including Settling the Mississippi Territory: The Origin of Two States, The Tensaw River: Alabama’s Hidden Heritage Corridor, This Southern Metropolis: Life in Antebellum Mobile; Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era and The Assault on Fort Blakeley: “The Thunder and Lightning of Battle.” Mike is chair of the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission, treasurer of the Friends of Old Mobile, a member of the board of the Alabama Historical Association and the Bartram Trail Conference, and editor of Muscogiana, the journal of the Muscogee County (GA) Genealogical Society.
About the Event
UA Museums’ John S. Steiner Lecture Series includes public lectures on a variety of topics in disciplines emphasized by The University of Alabama Museums, such as anthropology, archaeology, biology, geology, paleontology, and history.
Admission
This presentation is offered for free!
Location
The presentation will be given at the Math and Science Education Building (Room 1001) on The University of Alabama campus. The street address is 411 Hackberry Lane, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401.
Parking
Parking in University of Alabama campus parking lots is free at the time of the event. The closest lots to the event will be at the Math and Science Education Building and behind Smith Hall and Lloyd Hall.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please email Rebecca Johnson at [email protected] or call 205-348-6283.