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This significant early view of Pensacola captures a town in transition. Following a devastating hurricane in 1754 that obliterated the original settlement on Santa Rosa Island, the town was forced to relocate to the mainland. Published in January 1764, shortly after the conclusion of the French and Indian War, the engraving illustrates Pensacola at a pivotal moment in its development, having just been established as the capital of British West Florida under the colonial reorganization.
The scene conveys Pensacola’s modest scale at the time, barely more than a garrison town, with only a few key buildings labeled, including the fort, church, Governor's House, Commandant’s House, and a well. The sparse landscape and limited structures speak to the town’s fledgling status and strategic importance more than its economic or civic development. The view is dominated by Pensacola Bay in the foreground, where several small vessels anchor the town’s connection to the broader maritime world.
![[ Florida and Gulf Coast ] The Coast of West Florida and Louisiana . . . [with] The Peninsula and Gulf of Florida or Channel of Bahama with the Bahama Islands . . .](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/108565.jpg)
