When did Florida become a state?

Florida was granted statehood on March 3, 1845, by a bill that was signed by President John Tyler, who did so on his second-to-last day in office. At the time, Florida was the 27th state admitted to the Union.

There was some discussion to admit Florida as two separate states, West Florida and East Florida, but ultimately Florida was admitted as a unified state. Florida was admitted to the union as a slave state, and by 1860, roughly 44 percent of the population of the state were slaves, in large part due to the increase in cotton farms in Florida after it became a state.