Florida State History

Like most of the United States, the area saw in-habitation thousands of years before European explorers ever arrived. In the case of Florida, the region had been occupied for thousands of years prior to any outside contact. Ancient tribes occupying the region included the Apalachee, Ais, Timucua, and Calusa. These tribes lived in the Florida region for thousands of years until Ponce de Leon arrived in the area on April 2nd, 1513. Ponce de Leon, however, reported that some of the natives mysteriously knew Spanish, indicating that contact may have occured at an even earlier point.

The Spanish held onto Florida firmly until the late 18th century, when American influence began to pressure their borders. The Spanish suffered the effects of a guerilla war against the local Native Americans, sometimes armed and trained by American forces. In response, the Spanish offered Florida as a safe haven for escaping slaves, using them as a buffer against American influence. This strategy would eventually fail, with the United States launching a campaign into Florida with the First Seminole War.

Beginning in 1818, the Spanish power over the region began to fade discernably. After the First Seminole War, the United States practically owned East Florida, with the Spanish remaining only as a nominal force. With the Adams-Onis Treaty, the United States took official possession of the Florida region. As American settlers moved into the Florida area, the American government began working to expel the remaining Native Americans in the region. The Treaty of Payne’s Landing forced many of the remaining Seminole Indians to leave their lands and travel west of the Mississippi River.

The Civil War in 1861 took Florida out of the Union, making it one of the founding states of the Confederacy. When the war ended, Florida had its Congressional representation stored three years later. The Democratic Party quickly gained control the state legislature, and proceeded to disenfranchise African Americans and many less fortunate white citizens. Florida had many restrictive voting measures, such as a poll tax and a literacy test.

Florida missed out on the great migrations of the late nineteenth century, as it had no mineral resources or great agricultural potential with which to draw settlers. Florida would not see an expansion of its population and influence until the 1920s, when a real estate brought an economic stimulus to the region. The Great Depression, however, erased most of this economic gain and left the state in a desperate condition until the advent of World War II.

World War II brought the economy of Florida back from the brink, and many new jobs were created. World War II brought about a burgeoning industrial base for which thousands of jobs were needed. Combined with a relatively low cost of living, Florida soon went from one of the least populated states in the Union, to one of the most densely populated in a matter of a few decades. It is estimated that the population of Florida will soon pass that of New York state.

The aerospace industry has also established a notable presence, especially with the presence of the Kennedy Space Center. The technology and support needed to keep NASA running employs thousands of Floridians. The state continues to grow with respect to both its population and its economic influence. Thousands immigrate to Florida every year, and the state also has a considerable amount of foreign immigration. Cuban and hispanic influences are strong in Florida, and can be seen more and more every year. Florida is on track to become one of the most densely populated and economically important states in the Union.