Palafox Street has developed a reputation for its nightlife, but that aspect of Pensacola’s most important street was not always looked upon with fondness.

A little background… Spain ceded Florida to the United States through a treaty in 1819. General Andrew Jackson was appointed to serve as the first Territorial Governor for Florida, and in that capacity, he oversaw the ceremony that officially transferred Florida to the Americans.

Andrew Jackson was no stranger to Pensacola, having invaded the city on two previous occasions. His wife Rachel, however, had never even visited the city. She arrived first, Jackson having remained back in Tennessee to tend to some business. A local doctor by the name of John Brosnaham offered Rachel lodging at his home on Pensacola Bay.  

It was from this vantage point that Rachel caught her first glimpse of Palafox nightlife, and she was none too impressed!

In a letter addressed to a friend in Tallahassee, Rachel complained that no one in the city rested on the sabbath, muchless abstained from alcohol on that day. She called attention to the pervasive public swearing that echoed through the city late into the night. Making matters worse, noises coming from local dancehalls had not died down by the time Sunday services began and penetrated the walls of churches.  

As a result of Rachel’s crude observations and sentiments, Andrew Jackson enacted a number of new local ordinances once he became governor. Among these were many so called “blue laws” restricting social activities on Sundays.

Credits and Sources:

UWF Historic Trust Archives