Florida About and Short History

Florida About and Short History, Florida Travel Guide and Online Tourist Information

Florida the Ancient Peninsula: Overview

People have been enjoying the beauty of Florida for over 14,000 years. The Paleo Indians were the first known settlers. The land mass of Florida was much larger then. The glaciers that covered Canada and the Northern section of the US didn’t melt until 8000 BC, so Florida’s sea level was three hundred lower than it is today. When the Glaciers started to melt Florida’s climate changed from cool and dry to warm and wet, which is the how most Floridians describes the weather today. Indian villages have been found all over Florida, especially around Windover Pond near Titusville, which is located on the central east coast of the state. Horr’s Island, which is now part of Marco Island in the southwestern part of the state, is where 4,000 year old burial mounds and middens can be found. Several different Indian cultures thrived in Florida for thousands of years. The Indians in the south were distinctively different than the Indians who inhabit the panhandle and the north and central Gulf coast.

European Florida

By the time the Europeans arrived in the 16th century there were over 350,000 indigenous people living on the peninsula. History tells us that the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida in 1513, but records indicate that he found Indians who could speak Spanish when he arrived, which seems to indicate that others had reached what Leon called “La Pascua Florida” before him. As the Europeans arrived the Indian population decreased. They brought war, disease, a new government and religion with them as they settled in St Augustine, which is the oldest European settlement in the United States. In 1564 French Huguenots built Fort Caroline which is now known as Jacksonville and that lead to battles between the French and Spanish. The English arrived in St. Augustine 1586. The city was used as a base to establish missions throughout the southeastern part of the US. In 1768 the Scottish made an attempt to settle in New Smyrna but failed, due to Indian attacks and insect-born diseases. During the American Revolutionary War the Spanish captured Western Florida and the Treaty of Paris signed in 1795 returned all of Florida to the Spanish. In the early part of the 19th century the United States acquired Florida from Spain and Andrew Jackson was named the first governor in 1821.

Regions of Florida

  • Florida Panhandle
  • North Florida
  • Central Florida
  • South Florida

Cities of Florida

Nine of Florida's most notable cities..

  • Tallahassee - The state capital
  • Fort Lauderdale - The "Venice of America"
  • Jacksonville
  • Miami - America's home of Caribbean & Hispanic culture
  • Orlando - The theme park capital of the world
  • Panama City
  • Pensacola
  • Tampa
  • West Palm Beach