History of Florida

The history of Florida can be traced back to when the first began to inhabit the peninsula as early as 14,000 years ago. Spanish explorer first arrived and explored the area in 1513.

Prehistory of Florida
entered what is now Florida 14,000 years ago, soon after they are believed to have crossed over to from. Due to the large amount of water locked up in s during the, the sea level may have been 100 s (more than 300 feet) lower than it is today. As a result, the Florida peninsula had a land area about twice what it is today. Florida also had a drier and cooler climate than in more recent times. There were few flowing rivers or s. Over large areas of Florida the only fresh water available was in s and catchment basins. As a result most paleo-Indian activity was around the watering holes, and sinkholes and basins in the beds of modern rivers (such as the in the ) have yielded a rich trove of paleo-Indian s,  including s.

As the glaciers began retreating about 8000, the climate of Florida became warmer and wetter, and the sea level rose. The paleo-Indian culture was replaced by, or evolved into, the. There were now more people in Florida, and as they were no longer tied to a few water holes in an arid land, they left their artifacts in many more locations. ( have learned much about the Early Archaic people of Florida from the spectacular discoveries made at .) The Early Archaic period evolved into the Middle Archaic period around BCE. People started living in villages near wetlands, and favored sites may have been occupied for multiple generations. The Late Archaic period started around 3000 BCE, when Florida's climate had reached current conditions and the sea had risen close to its present level. People now lived everywhere there were fresh or salt water wetlands. Large shell accumulated during this period. Many people lived in large villages with purpose-built s, such as at the. Fired pottery appeared in Florida by 2000 BCE. By about 500 BCE, the Archaic culture that had been fairly uniform across Florida began to fragment into regional cultures.

The post-Archaic cultures of eastern and southern Florida developed in relative isolation, and it is likely that the peoples living in those areas at the time of first European contact were direct descendants of the inhabitants of the areas in late Archaic times. The cultures of the Florida panhandle and the north and central coast of the Florida peninsula were strongly influenced by the, although there is continuity in cultural history, suggesting that the peoples of those cultures were also descended from the inhabitants of the Archaic period. Cultivation of was adopted in the panhandle and the northern part of the peninsula, but was absent or very restricted in the tribes that lived south of the -speaking people (i.e., south of a line approximately from present-day  to a point on or north of Tampa Bay.

Native American tribes
At the time of first an contact, Florida was inhabited by an estimated 350,000 people belonging to a number of tribes. The Spanish recorded nearly one hundred names of groups they encountered, ranging from organized political entities such as the, with a population of around 50,000, to villages with no known political affiliation. There were an estimated 150,000 speakers of dialects of the, but the were only organized as groups of villages, and did not share a common culture. Other tribes in Florida at the time of first contact included the, , , , and. All of these tribes diminished in numbers during the period of Spanish control of Florida. At the beginning of the 18th century, tribes from areas to the north of Florida, supplied, encouraged, and occasionally accompanied by colonists from the, raided throughout Florida, burning villages, killing many of the inhabitants and carrying captives back to  to be sold as slaves. Most of the villages in Florida were abandoned and the survivors sought refuge at, or in isolated spots around the state. Some of the Apalachee eventually reached Louisiana, where they survived as a distinct group for at least another century. The few surviving members of these tribes were evacuated to when Spain transferred Florida to the  in 1763. The, originally an offshoot of the who absorbed other groups, developed as a distinct tribe in Florida during the 18th century, and are now represented in the Seminole Nation of , the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the  Tribe of Indians of Florida.

Spanish rule


According to popular legend, unlikely to be true, Juan Ponce de León discovered Florida while searching for the. Although it is often stated that he sighted the peninsula for the first time, mistaking it for an island, on, he probably actually saw one of the Bahama islands. He landed on the east coast of the newly discovered land on April 2. He named the land La Pascua Florida, or "Flowery Easter," probably due to the abundant in the area or to the fact that he arrived during the Spanish  feast,. However, Ponce de León may not have been the first European to reach Florida, as he claimed he encountered at least one Indian who could speak Ponce de León returned with equipment and settlers to start a colony in 1521, but they were driven off by repeated attacks from the native population. The earliest records of inland Florida are those of conquest survivors. 's explored Florida's west coast in 1528, but was lost at sea upon his attempted seaward escape to. One of his expedition's officers,, survived nine years trudging between Florida and Mexico, returned to Spain and published his observations. He inspired invasion of Florida in 1539. Members of his expedition later published details of Florida's natives, their lifestyles and behavior. In 1559 established a brief settlement in  that was abandoned in 1561.

The began taking an interest in the area as well, leading the Spanish to accelerate their. led an expedition to Florida in 1562, and his associate founded  in what is now  in 1564 as a haven for the s. San Agustín, founded in 1565 by , is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in any ; it is second oldest only to  in the United States' current territory.

From this base of operations, the Spanish began building missions.

On, , Menéndez de Avilés attacked Fort Caroline, killed all the French soldiers defending it (except Catholics), and renamed the fort San Mateo. Two years later, recaptured the settlement from the Spanish and slaughtered all of the Spanish defenders. After the initial destruction of Fort Caroline, St. Augustine became the most important settlement in Florida. It was little more than a fortress for many years, and was frequently attacked and burned, with most residents killed or fled. It was notably devastated in 1586, when English sea captain and sometime pirate Sir plundered and burned the city. missionaries used St. Augustine as a base of operations, and established missions throughout what is today the southeastern United States. Missionaries converted 26,000 natives by 1655, but a revolt in 1656 and an epidemic in 1659 proved devastating. Pirate attacks were unrelenting against small outposts and even St Augustine itself.

Throughout the 17th century, English settlers in and the  gradually pushed the boundaries of Spanish territory south, while the French settlements along the  encroached on the western borders of the Spanish claim. In 1702, English Colonel and allied  and  attacked and razed the town of St. Augustine, but they could not gain control of the fort. In 1704, Moore and his soldiers began burning Spanish missions in north Florida and executing Indians friendly with the Spanish. The collapse of the Spanish mission system and the defeat of the Spanish-allied Indians (the ) opened Florida up to, which reached to the Florida Keys and decimated the native population. The of 1715-1717 resulted in large numbers of Indian refugees, such as the Yamasee, moving south to Florida. In 1719, the French captured the Spanish settlement at Pensacola.

The British and their colonies made war repeatedly against the Spanish, especially in 1702, and captured St Augustine in 1740. The British were angry that Spanish officials tolerated and invited runaway slaves into Florida. Invading killed off most of the local Indians. Florida had about 3000 Spaniards when Britain took control 1763. Nearly all quickly left. Even though in 1783 control was restored to Spain, Spain sent no more settlers or missionaries. The US took control in 1819.

British rule
In 1763, Spain traded Florida (which, at the time, extended south only to around the area of present day ) to Great Britain for control of, Cuba, which had been captured by the British during the. Almost the entire Spanish population left along with most of the remaining indigenous population. The British divided the territory into and, and began aggressive recruitment programs designed to attract settlers to the area, offering free land and backing for export-oriented businesses.

East Florida was the site of the largest single importation of white settlers in the colonial period, about 1,400 people indentured by Scottish Physician arrived in July 1768. These people settled at, where they began to farm various crops needed in the Empire, such as indigo, grapes, silk, etc. Unfortunately for them, most crops did not do well in the sandy Florida soil, and those that did rarely equaled the quality produced in other areas. Colonists eventually tired of their servitude and the increasingly uncompromising nature of Turnbull, who on several occasions used black slaves to whip his unruly settlers. The settlement collapsed and the survivors fled to St. Augustine. Their relatives survive to this day, as does the name New Smyrna.

In 1767, the British moved the northern boundary of West Florida to a line extending from the mouth of the east to the  (32° 28′north latitude), consisting of approximately the lower third of the present states of  and. During this time, there was a migration into Florida of Creek Indians, who would form the Seminole tribe.

During the, the Spanish, then allied with the French (who were actively at war with Britain), took advantage of the distraction and recaptured portions of West Florida, including. In 1784, the ending the Revolutionary War returned all of Florida to Spanish control, but without specifying the boundaries. The Spanish wanted the expanded boundary, while the United States demanded the old boundary at the 31st parallel. In the of 1795, Spain recognized the 31st parallel as the boundary.

Second Spanish rule
Spanish presence was minor during that empire's second rule over Florida. Spain offered extremely lucrative free land packages in Florida as a means of attracting settlers, and foreigners came in droves, especially from the United States. The territory became a haven for escaped slaves and a base for Indian attacks against the U.S., and the U.S. demanded Spain reform. There were almost no Spanish settlers and only a few soldiers. In the meantime, American settlers established a foothold in the area and ignored Spanish officials. British settlers who had remained also resented Spanish rule, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for exactly ninety days of the so-called Free and Independent Republic of on September 23. After meetings beginning in June, rebels overcame the Spanish garrison at (now in ), and unfurled the flag of the new republic: a single white star on a blue field. This flag would later become known as the "".

Throughout this period, Spain offered land grants to anyone who settled in Florida. As a result, hundreds of Americans came into the colony. Once Florida became a U.S. Territory, these grants -- which the U.S. agreed to honor if found valid -- caused years of litigation as settlers attempted to prove the validity of their claims.

On October 27, 1810, parts of West Florida were annexed by proclamation of U.S. President, who claimed the region as part of the. At first, purchase negotiator and the West Florida government were opposed to the proclamation, preferring to negotiate terms to join the Union. However,, who was sent to take possession of the territory, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the West Florida government. Skipwith proclaimed that he was ready to "die in defense of the Lone Star flag." However, Skipwith and the legislature eventually backed down, and agreed to accept Madison's proclamation. Possession was taken of on 6 December 1810, and of Baton Rouge on 10 December 1810. These portions were incorporated into the newly formed. The U.S. annexed the Mobile District of West Florida to the in 1812. Spain continued to dispute the area, though the United States gradually increased the area it occupied.

After settler attacks on Indian towns, Indians based in  began raiding  settlements, purportedly at the behest of the Spanish. The led increasingly frequent incursions into Spanish territory, including the 1817 – 1818 campaign against the Seminole Indians by  that became known as the. Following the war, the United States effectively controlled East Florida.

The was signed between the United States and Spain on,  and took effect on ,. According to the terms of the treaty, the United States acquired Florida and, in exchange, renounced all claims to. formally took control of Florida from Spanish authorities on, at.

American rule


became an of the United States on,. The Americans merged and  (although the majority of West Florida was annexed to  and ), and established a new capital in, conveniently located halfway between the East Florida capital of St. Augustine and the West Florida capital of Pensacola. The boundaries of Florida's first two counties, and, approximately coincided with the boundaries of West and East Florida respectively.

As settlement increased, pressure grew on the United States government to remove the Indians from their lands in Florida. To the chagrin of Georgia landowners, the Seminoles harbored and integrated, and clashes between whites and Indians grew with the influx of new settlers. In 1832, the United States government signed the with some of the Seminole chiefs, promising them lands west of the Mississippi River if they agreed to leave Florida voluntarily. Many of the Seminoles left at this time, while those who remained prepared to defend their claims to the land. White settlers pressured the government to remove all of the Indians, by force if necessary, and in 1835, the U.S. Army arrived to enforce the treaty.

The began at the end of 1835 with the, when Seminoles ambushed Army troops marching from  (Tampa) to reinforce  (Ocala), killing or mortally wounding all but one of the 108 troops. Between 900 and 1,500 Seminole Indian warriors effectively employed hit and run guerrilla tactics against United States Army troops for seven years. , a charismatic young war leader, came to symbolize the war and the Seminoles after he was arrested at truce negotiations in 1837 and died in prison less than a year later. The war dragged on until 1842. The U.S. government is estimated to have spent between US$20 million and US$40 million on the war, at the time an astronomical sum. Almost all of the Seminoles were forcibly exiled to Creek lands west of the Mississippi; about 300 were allowed to remain in the.

On, , Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. Almost half of the state's population were black slaves working on plantations.

The Civil War and Reconstruction


Following 's election in 1860, Florida joined other Southern states in seceding from the. took place, and, after less than a month as an independent republic, Florida became one of the founding members of the. As Florida was an important supply route for the, Union forces operated a blockade around the entire state. Union troops occupied major ports such as, Jacksonville, , and Pensacola. Though numerous skirmishes occurred in Florida, including the and the, the only major battle was the  near.

After meeting the requirements of Reconstruction, including amendments to the, Florida was readmitted to the United States on ,.

Tourism industry


During the late 19th century, Florida started to become a popular tourist destination as s expanded into the area. Railroad magnate built a luxury hotel in, which later became the campus for the. built the from  to Key West and built numerous luxury hotels along the route, including in the cities of St. Augustine,, and.

In February 1888, Florida had a special tourist. , the first lady and his party visited Florida for a couple of days. He visited the Subtropical Exposition in Jacksonville where he made a speech supporting tourism to the state; then, he took a train to St. Augustine, meeting Henry Flagler; and then a train to Titusville, where he boarded a steamboat and visited Rock Ledge. On his return trip, he visited Sanford and Winter Park.

The 1920s were a prosperous time for much of the nation. Florida's new railroads opened up large areas to development, spurring the. Investors of all kinds, mostly from outside Florida, raced to buy and sell rapidly appreciating land in newly platted communities such as and. A majority of the people who bought land in Florida were able to do so without stepping foot in the state, by hiring people to speculate and buy the land for them. By 1925, the market ran out of buyers to pay the high prices and soon the boom became a bust. The further depressed the real estate market. The arrived in 1929; however, by that time, economic decay already consumed much of Florida from the land boom that collapsed four years earlier.

Florida's first theme parks emerged in the 1930s and include (1936) near  and  (1938) near St. Augustine. chose Central Florida as the site of his planned in the 1960s and began purchasing land. In 1971, the first component of the resort,, opened and began the dramatic transformation of the area into a resort destination with a wide variety of themed parks. Besides Disney, the Orlando area today features theme parks including, , and.

Military and space industry


Starting in the early twentieth century and accelerating as dawned, the state has proven itself to be a major hub for the. was originally established as a naval station in 1826 and became the first American naval aviation facility in 1917. The entire nation mobilized for World War II and many bases were established in Florida during this time, including, , , and. and (now the home of ) were also developed during this time. During the, Florida's coastal access and proximity to Cuba continued the development of these and other military facilities. Since the end of the Cold War, Florida has seen some facilities close, including major bases at Homestead and Cecil Field, but the military presence is still significant.

Due to Florida's low latitude, it was chosen in 1949 as a test site for the country's nascent missile program. and the launch site began to take shape as the 1950s progressed. By the early 1960s, the was in full swing and generated a huge boom in the communities around Cape Canaveral. This area is now collectively known as the and features the. It is also a major center of the. To date, all manned orbital spaceflights launched by the United States, including the only men to visit the, have been launched from Kennedy Space Center.

Since 1945
Florida's populations are continually changing. After World War II, Florida was transformed as and the  system encouraged migration from the north. In 1950, Florida was ranked twentieth among the states in population; 50 years later it was ranked fourth. Due to low tax rates and warm climate, Florida became the destination for many retirees from the Northeast and Canada. The of 1959 led to a large wave of Cuban immigration into South Florida, which transformed Miami into a major center of commerce, finance and transportation for all of Latin America. Immigration from and other  states continues to the present day.

2000 Presidential election controversy
Florida became the battleground of the controversial, when a count of the popular votes held on Election Day was extremely close and mired in accusations of fraud and manipulation. Subsequent recount efforts degenerated into arguments over mispunched ballots, "hanging chads," and controversial decisions by the Florida Secretary of State  and the. Ultimately, the ended all recounts and let stand the official count by Harris, which was accepted by Congress.

Hurricanes and environment
Hurricanes and tropical storms are an increasing problem stemming from Florida's rapidly developing coastal areas. in 1992 struck, just south of Miami, and was, until Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the most expensive natural disaster in US history. Besides heavy property damage, the hurricane nearly destroyed the region's insurance industry.

The western panhandle of the state was damaged heavily in, with storms , , and hitting the area within the span of a few months. The storms increased in strength as the season went on, culminating with Opal's landfall as a Category 3 in October. Florida also suffered heavily during the, when no less than four storms struck the state. made landfall in the Fort Myers area and cut northward through the peninsula, struck the Atlantic coast and drenched most of central Florida with heavy rains,  caused heavy damage in the western Panhandle, and  caused damage to the same area as Frances, including compounded beach erosion. Damage from all four storms was estimated to be at least $22 billion, with some estimates going as high as $40 billion. In 2005, South Florida was struck twice again by and. The panhandle was struck by in 2005 as well.

Environmental issues include preservation and restoration of the Everglades and how to respond to pressure to drill for in the eastern. To date, large-scale drilling off of the coasts of Florida has been prevented.

Sources and further reading

 * Baptist, Edward E. Creating an Old South: Middle Florida's Plantation Frontier Before the Civil War.
 * Barnes, Jay. Florida's Hurricane History. University of North Carolina Press: 1998. ISBN 0-8078-4748-8.
 * Brown, Robin C. Florida's First People: 12,000 Years of Human History. Pineapple Press: 1994. ISBN 1-56164-032-8.
 * Burnett, Gene M. Florida's Past: People and Events That Shaped the State. Pineapple Press: 1998. ISBN 1-56164-115-4.
 * Gallay, Alan. The Indian Slave Trade: The Rise of the English Empire in the American South, 1670-1717. Yale University Press. 2002. ISBN 0-300-10193-7.
 * Gannon, Michael. The New History of Florida. University Press of Florida: 1996. ISBN 0-8130-1415-8.
 * Henderson, Ann L., and Gary R. Mormino. Spanish Pathways in Florida: 1492-1992. Pineapple Press: 1991. ISBN 1-56164-004-2.
 * Landers, Jane. Black Society in Spanish Florida. University of Illinois Press: 1999. ISBN 0-252-06753-3
 * Milanich, Jerald T. Florida's Indians From Ancient Time to the Present. University Press of Florida. 1998.
 * Milanich, Jerald T.. Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. University Press of Florida. 1995. ISBN 0-8130-1360-7
 * Peirce, Neal R. The Deep South States of America: People, Politics, and Power in the Seven Deep South States. 1974
 * The Money Manias: The Eras of Great Speculation in America, 1770-1970 (1973) reprinted (2000)
 * Taylor, Robert A., and Lewis N. Wynne. Florida in the Civil War. Arcadia Publishing: 2002. ISBN 0-7385-1491-8.