The 1776 Sampler is a public history project that brings the people of Revolutionary-era Pensacola and its surroundings into the present, one face at a time.
In 1776, West Florida was a dynamic and often contested borderland within the British Empire. Florida itself was not one of the thirteen colonies that rebelled, yet it played a significant role in the conflict as a strategic southern port capable of supplying British military operations across the region. During this time, West Florida was home to a wide range of people: British officials and soldiers, provincial troops from other colonies, merchants and laborers, Native peoples, and both enslaved and free Africans. In 1781, Spanish forces and their allies invaded and captured the colony, bringing with them a coalition that included participants from across the Atlantic world, including Germany, Ireland, and beyond.
Rather than capturing a single moment, the 1776 Sampler reflects this changing and overlapping population over time—a place shaped by movement, conflict, and exchange. Allegiances shifted, empires changed hands, and individuals experienced these events in ways that resist simple categorization.
This project centers those complexities by assembling a dataset of 1,776 individuals documented in West Florida during the British period (1763-1781). Drawn from archival records—muster rolls, censuses, court documents, church registers, and more—these names represent real people who experienced this moment from many different perspectives. Some were prominent figures; many were not. All were part of the fabric of this place and time.
A Living Sampler
The “sampler” in our title is intentional. Historically, samplers were pieces of needlework that combined many small elements into a single, meaningful whole—often created collaboratively or over time. In the same spirit, the 1776 Sampler is not a finished portrait, but a growing, participatory one.
Visitors to the site are invited to choose an individual and submit a selfie to represent them as part of the America 250 commemoration. These images are then woven into a collective gallery, transforming a list of names into a community of faces. The result is a modern sampler: a visual record that reflects both the diversity of 1776 and the diversity of the people engaging with this history today.
Why Selfies?
For most of the individuals in this dataset, no portrait exists. They survive only in fragments—names, occupations, transactions, brief mentions in official records. By inviting participants to stand in for them, the project creates a bridge between past and present.
This act is not about literal likeness, but about presence. It asks: what does it mean to see yourself in history? And how might history look different when it is represented not by a few familiar figures, but by hundreds of everyday people?
Impact on the Revolution
Events in West Florida played a critical role in the outcome of the American Revolution, even though they are often overlooked in traditional narratives. The Gulf Coast became a contested frontier where British and Spanish forces vied for control, with Spain—though not formally allied with the American colonies at first—working to weaken British power in North America.
This struggle culminated in the 1781 Siege of Pensacola, when Spanish forces under Bernardo de Gálvez captured the British stronghold at Pensacola. The victory effectively ended British control of West Florida and diverted British military resources away from the eastern seaboard, contributing to the broader success of the American cause.
In recognition of his leadership and the significance of his victory, Bernardo de Gálvez was later honored by the United States Congress as an Honorary Citizen of the United States—one of only a handful of individuals to receive this distinction. His role is a reminder that the American Revolution was not solely a colonial struggle, but part of a global conflict shaped by international alliances and diverse participants.
Interpreting the Past, Together
The 1776 Sampler also reflects a broader shift in public history—one that values collaboration, inclusion, and shared authority. Rather than presenting a single, definitive narrative, the project opens space for exploration and interpretation. Users can browse, search, and reflect on the lives represented here, considering how identity, allegiance, and experience intersected in a place like West Florida.
We also recognize that historical records are incomplete and shaped by the priorities of those who created them. Many voices are underrepresented or absent altogether. This project does not resolve those gaps, but it does make them visible—and invites ongoing research, dialogue, and discovery.
Project Credits
The original concept for the Sampler was developed by Margo Stringfield. The principal researcher was Erin Renfroe. The website designer/developer was Joe Vinson.
Part of America 250
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the 1776 Sampler offers a way to engage with this milestone from a regional and deeply human perspective. West Florida’s story during the Revolutionary era is not one of simple beginnings, but of entanglement in a global conflict. By exploring these 1,776 lives—and by adding your own image to the sampler—you become part of a broader effort to remember, reinterpret, and share that history.
Join the Sampler
Browse the names. Learn their stories. Choose someone to represent. Add your face to the past, and help create a richer portrait of this moment in history.
