1824 – Tallahassee officially became the capital of the territory of Florida on this date. Prior to this date, Florida was broken up into two colonies by the British in 1763, East and West Florida. Each colony had its own capital, Pensacola in West Florida and St. Augustine in East Florida. The Spanish continued this administrative separation during the Second Spanish Period (1783-1821). After the United States acquired Florida as part of the Adams-Ońis Treaty of 1819, the territorial government chose a site that was halfway between the two previous colonial cities. Tallahassee had previously been occupied by pre-Colombian societies, and also by Creek and Seminole Indians. The Spanish also built a large mission in Tallahassee known as Mission San Luis de Apalachee, which has been partially reconstructed on its original site. Tallahassee remains the capital of the state of Florida and is the county seat and largest city in Leon County.