Florida's History (1497 - 1983)
1497-1512
Europeans, likely Spaniards but possibly English,
saw Florida for the first time. Spanish map of
1502 depicts peninsula like Florida. Peter Marty
wrote in 1511 of land near Bahamas with water
of eternal youth.
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon, who first had come to New
World on second voyage of Columbus, sighted Florida
on March 27. Going ashore between April 2 and
8 in the vicinity of St. Augustine, he named the
land "Pascua Florida" because of its discovery
"in the time of the Feast of Flowers."
1516-1561
Florida explored by Spaniards, including Ponce
de Leon, who was wounded fatally in landing near
Charlotte Harbor, and Panfilo de Narvaez, Hernando
de Soto and Don Tristan de Luna. De Luna established
a colony on the shores of Pensacola Bay in 1559.
This settlement, abandoned two years later after
a storm wrecked de Luna's fleet, antedated by
six years the founding of St. Augustine and was
the first attempt at permanent colonization. Fray
Luis Cancer de Barbastro, a Dominican priest,
was killed by Indians near Tampa Bat in 1549,
the first churchman to die for his faith in this
country.
1564
Rene de Goulaine de Laudonier of France built
a fort, named Caroline for Charles IX, on the
St. Johns River, known to the French as the River
of May.
1565
Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain entered harbor
which he called San Augustin on August 28; afterwards
captured Fort Caroline, which then became San
Mateo as a Spanish outpost, and massacred French
forces of shipwrecked Admiral Jean Ribault on
Anastasia Island. San Augustin later was known
as St. Augustine, and has been settled continuously
since Menendez left part of his force there before
the foray on Fort Caroline.
1566
Intensive, continuing efforts begun by Jesuit
Priests and Franciscan friars to convert Indians
to Christian faith.
1567-1568
Expedition of Dominique de Gourgues of France
to avenge the dead of Fort Caroline and Anastasia
Island. De Gourgues captured San Mateo, hanged
the Spanish and returned to France.
1586
Sir Francis Drake, British seafarer, sacked and
burned St. Augustine.
1600
Marked by sporadic Indian outbreaks, the 17th
century saw Spanish colonization spread through
Florida. San Marcos de Apalache (St. Marks of
today) was a fort and a settlement of consequence
by the 1680s. Pensacola was settled in 1698.
1702-1703
British raids upon Spanish settlements, including
a two month siege of St. Augustine during which
the town was captured but not the fort.
1719
French captured Pensacola but soon returned colony
in an alliance of French and Spanish to stave
off inroads of English. France occupied Gulf Coast
west of Pensacola.
1740
British General James Oglethorpe invaded Florida
from Georgia. Seizing outlying forts, he besieged
St. Augustine for 27 days until lack of water
and provisions, plus the July sun and hordes of
insects caused him to turn away, freeing the 1,500
soldiers and 1,000 townspeople crowded in the
Castillo de San Marcos.
1763
Spain ransomed Havana from the British with Florida.
The British found St. Augustine to be a city of
900 houses; Pensacola to have grown beyond the
original settlement; and a fort and town, San
Marcos de Apalache, at the head of the Gulf. All
the rest was wilderness. Efforts were made by
the British authorities to attract investors and
settlers.
1776-1778
Border fighting between American and British forces.
1781
Spaniards captured Pensacola from the British.
1783
Florida returned to Spain by British for Bahamas.
Nearly 10,000 persons, many of whom had fled the
American Colonies during the Revolution, left
Florida, going for the most part to the Bahamas
and the West Indies. Uncounted others traveled
West. Florida's first newspaper, the East Florida
Gazette, published at St. Augustine by Williams
Charles Wells, a Tory. He rushed out an "extra"
to proclaim the British defeat in the Revolutionary
War.
1785-1821
Spanish-American border disputes. Encouraged by
American authorities, a republic was proclaimed
in northeastern Florida in 1812 by "patriots"
who ran up their flag over Fernandina but were
balked at St. Augustine.
1813
Andrew Jackson captured and abandoned Pensacola,
which had been garrisoned by the British, over
the protest of Spain, as a base of Gulf operations
against the Americans.
1816
A red-hot cannon ball, exploding the magazine
of an abandoned British fort occupied by free
and runaway slave Negroes on the Apalachicola
River, killed 300 as Americans sought to stop
forays in Spanish territory upon boats supplying
American troops and settlers.
1817-1819
Gregor MacGregor, Scotch soldier of fortune, captured
Fernandina, menaced St. Augustine, then withdrew
personally to leave lieutenants to beat off an
attack on Amelia Island by Spanish and volunteer
American forces. MacGregor was supplanted as leader
by Luis Aury, who declared himself to be a Mexican,
annexed Amelia Island to Mexico and flew the Mexican
flag. American forces evicted him in December,
1817, without bloodshed, and held the place until
yellow fever caused their withdrawal in 1819.
1818
Andrew Jackson campaigned against Indians and
outlawed Negroes from Pensacola to the Suwannee,
executing two British citizens he accused of inciting
the Indians against the United States. Protests
were voiced by Great Britain and Spain.
1819
American Secretary of State John Quincy Adams
and Spanish Minister Luis de Onis reached an agreement,
finally ratified by both nations in 1821, by which
Spain gave the United States title to East and
West Florida. The United States gave up its claims
to Texas, and Spain assigned its rights in the
Pacific Northwest to the United States, leaving
ownership of the Oregon Territory to be settled
among the United Sates, Russia and Great Britain.
The United States paid about $4,100,000 to Americans
who proved claims against Spain.
1821
Andrew Jackson received the Floridas from Spanish
authorities at Pensacola on July 17. He left Florida
in October, likely on the 6th, and resigned as
United States Commissioner and Governor of the
Territories of East and West Florida from his
Tennessee home in November.
1822
The unified government of Florida was established
March 30, 1822, when President Monroe signed into
law the Congressional Act providing for a Governor
and a Legislative Council of 13 citizens, appointed
by the President. William P. DuVal, a Virginian
who grew to manhood in Kentucky, became the first
Territorial Governor.
1824
Governor DuVal, on March 4, proclaimed the site
of the present city of Tallahassee as the seat
of the new Territory, with the Legislative Council
meeting there in November at a log house erected
in the vicinity of today's Capitol.
1825
The Marquis de Lafayette was granted $200,000
and a township of land anywhere in the unsold
public domain in recognition by Congress of his
Revolutionary War services. He accepted a township
adjacent to land set aside by the federal government
for establishment of Tallahassee as the new capital
of the Territory of Florida. Lafayette never saw
his Florida land, much now within the present
city of Tallahassee, but caused the settlement
there in 1831 of a short-lived colony of 50 to
60 Norman peasants to cultivate vineyards and
olive groves and mulberry trees for feeding silk
worms.
1834-1837
Florida's first railroads began operation. The
Tallahassee-St. Marks road was first incorporated
(April 10, 1834) of those which actually materialized
but the St. Joseph-Lake Wimico line was the first
to get into service (April 14,1836).
1835
Beginning of the Seminole War. Major Francis L.
Dade and two companies of U.S. Army troops ambushed
and massacred. Osceola, Indian leader, imprisoned
after entering American camp under flag of truce.
1837-1840
General Zachary Taylor, afterwards President of
the United States, commanded forces combating
Seminoles. His battle on the eastern shore of
Lake Okeechobee on Christmas Day, 1837, has been
described as the last organized encounter of any
kind with the Seminoles.
1838
Convention at St. Joseph drew Constitution in
anticipation of early statehood.
1842
Seminole War ended with 3,824 Indians and Negroes
relocated in Arkansas. Cost of war to federal
government, beyond expense of regular army, placed
at $20,000,000, while 1,500 soldiers died of wounds
or disease. No estimate of civilian dead.
1845
President John Tyler on March 3, last day of his
administration, signed into law the act granting
statehood to Florida (and Iowa) with its 57,921
people. First State Governor was William D. Moseley,
Jefferson County planter who had lived in Florida
but six years. He was a North Carolinian. Elected
to Congress as first Representative was David
Yulee, of Portuguese and Jewish blood, who had
been born in St. Thomas, the West Indies. Before
going to Washington as Representative, however,
Yulee (then Levy) was elected U.S. Senator by
the General Assembly and, with but a four-year
interruption, continued in the Senate until Secession.
1851
Dr. John Gorrie of Apalachicola patented the process
of making ice artificially, a process he had developed
in 1845 to cool the rooms of feverish patients.
He died in 1855 without having gained recognition,
but today Dr. Gorrie is one of two Florida men
honored with a statue at the Capitol in Washington.
1855
General Assembly passed the first Internal Improvement
Act, which used swamp, overflowed and other land
ceded State by Federal government to furnish impetus
for an all-state system of railroad and canal
transportation.
1860
Legislature, meeting after Abraham Lincoln's election
as President, rushed through an Act for a constitutional
convention to meet at Tallahassee, and appropriated
$100,000 for state troops.
1860
Florida Railroad, first cross-state line, linked
Fernandina, on the East Coast, with Cedar Key
on the West.
1861
Florida withdrew from the Union on January 11.
State troops occupied Chattahoochee Arsenal, Fort
Clinch on Amelia Island and Fort Marion at St.
Augustine, but federal authorities held Fort Taylor
at Key West, Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas
and Fort Pickens at Pensacola.
1861-1865
Florida furnished salt, beef and bacon to the
armies of the Confederacy. Voting population of
Florida was 14,374 in 1860. This figure gives
significance to the fact that more than 16,000
Floridians served in the Civil War: 15,000 in
the Confederate army and 1,290 in Union army.
Of those in the Confederate forces, 6,700 served
for the entire war or until disabled or killed.
Florida troops served in all of the greater battles,
and more than 1,000 were killed outright on the
field of battle. As a result of campaigning, at
least 5,000 Florida soldiers were dead by the
spring of '65.
1864
Defeat of Union army by Confederates at Olustee
saved interior lines of supply from Florida and
confined Federal troops to the coast. Raiding
parties, instead of troops in force, roved Florida.
1865
Home Guards and Cadets from West Florida Seminary
saved Tallahassee from capture by turning back
invading Federal forces at Battle of Natural Bridge.
War ended with Tallahassee only Confederate state
capital east of Mississippi to escape occupation.
Federal troops entered Tallahassee on May 10,
and American flag again flew over Capitol on May
20. Constitutional Convention, convened on October
25, annulled Ordinance of Secession and decreed
slavery no longer existed. Right to vote restricted
to "free" white male persons of 21 years or more,
and no others.
1868
Faction-torn convention submitted new Constitution,
given voter-approval in May, which granted equal
suffrage to races. Military rule ended with civil
government formally resumed on July 4. State's
political destinies were for time being in hands
of those either new to Florida or new to right
of vote.
1876
Florida's electoral votes, cast amid charges of
fraud while national political figures of both
parties worked feverishly at Tallahassee, were
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes' margin for the
Presidency of the United States. Democrats regained
control of state offices to put an end to carpetbag
rule as Federal troops were withdrawn in 1877.
1881
Hamilton Disston, Philadelphia saw industrialist,
bought four million acres of Everglades at 25
cents an acre to free the Internal Improvement
Fund of debt and open way for development of much
of peninsular Florida.
1884
First train of new Plant System, created of many
short-lines in south by Henry B. Plant, rumbled
into Tampa to produce the agricultural and industrial
awakening of the West Coast.
1885
Constitutional Convention of 56 days broadened
people's share in their government. Cabinet posts
were made elective, as were those of Justice of
the Supreme Court and all county offices except
County Commissioner. State Board of Education
created. Establishment of normal schools authorized.
1886
Requiring a railroad adequate to serve a great
hotel he had built at St. Augustine, Henry M.
Flagler brought the first transportation link
in the chain of railroad and hotel properties
he built down the East Coast to Key West. People
and industry followed his penetration.
1888
First commercial shipment of phosphate from Peace
River valley, where mineral had been discovered
in 1881.
1889
Yellow fever epidemic brought creation of State
Board of Health.
1890
National Convention of Farmers' Alliance, a predecessor
of Populist Party, held in Ocala.
1894-1899
Repeated frosts killed much citrus and sent industry
southward.
1898
Spanish-American War saw embarkation camps at
Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville, with thousands
of soldiers and others who visited state then
returning afterwards either as tourists or residents.
1901
Primary election law enacted to displace convention
system of nominating candidates for public office.
1905
Buckman Act consolidated state institutions of
higher learning into three: The University of
Florida at Gainesville, Florida State College
for Women at Tallahassee, and the Florida Agricultural
and Mechanical College for Negroes at Tallahassee.
Legislature also created Everglades Drainage District,
of 7,500 square miles, to reclaim water-burdened
land for agriculture and cattle raising. Enactment
of automobile registration law with 296 registered
in first two years.
1911
First night flight in aviation history made by
Lincoln Beachey, over Tampa.
1913
Governor Trammell sponsered first Corrupt Practices
law, to reduce the legal cost of seeking public
office. Law allowed the expenditure of $4,000
by candidates for the U.S. Senate and for governor;
$3,500, for cabinet position.
1914
Start of the world's first scheduled airline service,
with Antony Jannus piloting a flying boat, with
passenger, from St. Petersburg to Tampa on January
1.
1915
First legal steps taken toward establishment of
state constructed and maintained system of highways,
a governmental function left previously to local
agencies but requiring emergency measures because
of rapid development of automobiles and tourist
traffic.
1917-1918
Florida was scene of training for World War I
fighting men, particularly aviators, as weather
permitted year-round activity.
1922
WDAE, Tampa, licensed by the U.S. Department of
Commerce on May 15, 1922 to the Tampa Publishing
Company, went on air as Florida's first broadcast
radio station.
1924-1925
Huge land boom, with influx of people, many of
whom remained as residents and the spending of
inestimable sums by public and private agencies
for improvements. Scores of new cities founded.
1925
The MIAMI HERALD has the largest advertising lineage
of any newspaper in the United States, 42.5 million
lines in contrast to 33.3 million by the nearest
competitor.
1926
Hurricane devastated Miami area, taking 200 lives.
Constitutional amendment broadened power of the
Legislature to appropriate money for schools.
1927
Creation of the State Board of Public Welfare.
Large-scale growing and milling of sugar begins
in Everglades at Clewiston.
1928
Water driven from Lake Okeechobee by hurricane
caused death by drowning of some 1,500 persons.
1929
First commercial airline flights between Key West
and Havana; forerunners of Latin-American operations
of Pan American World Airways from Miami.
1933
In attempt to assassinate President-elect Roosevelt
in Bayfront Park in Miami, Guiseppi Zangara fatally
wounds Mayor Anton Cermak of Chicago. Zangara
later was put to death in Raiford Prison's electric
chair. Sale of beer legalized. The first New Deal
agency in Florida, the Civilian Conservation Corps,
begins operation.
1934
Constitutional amendment exempted homesteads from
taxation up to $5,000 valuation except for payment
of bonds previously issued.
1935
Storm sweeping mid-section of Florida Keys brought
death to upwards of 400 persons, including some
200 veterans of World War I. A remnant of the
Bonus Army which had marched on Washington, the
veterans were employed in highway construction.
1937
Poll Tax abolished as prerequisite to voting.
1939
Highway Patrol, financed from sale of driver licenses,
established.
1940
Ad valorem tax for state purposes abolished.
1941-1945
Florida hummed with World War II industry, as
training grounds for tens of thousands of men
and women of the arms forces at great camps like
Camp Blanding and Camp Gordon Johnston and in
the forging of vessels and tools for the conflict.
Tourist hotels and restaurants at Miami Beach,
Daytona Beach, St. Petersburg and other resort
centers afforded quick means for accommodating
hordes of trainees.
1942
Constitutional amendment pledged proceeds of two
cents of gasoline tax for 50 years to retirement
of county road and bridge bonds.
1943
Cigarette tax levied to replace war-lost revenue
from horse and dog racing.
1945
Cigarette tax reenacted and increased from three
cents to four and taxes on beer and other alcoholic
beverages raised to finance multimillion dollar
improvement program at state institutions and
to provide more money for schools. State advertising
program of $500,000 a year instituted.
1947
Legislature enacted Minimum Foundation Program
to put floor under educational opportunity for
children in elementary schools of all counties
and to encourage teachers to improve their qualifications
by offering better pay for better training. Changed
Florida State College for Women into co-educational
Florida State University. University of Florida
opened to female students.
1949
Legislature banned livestock from highways, enacted
omnibus citrus law designed to raise marketing
standards for fresh and canned fruit, and overhauled
election laws. Legislature, in special revenue-raising
session, enacted three per cent retail sales tax.
1950
Frozen concentrate of citrus juices became a major
industry. Florida ranked 12th in nation for beef
cattle. Federal census counted 2,771,305 Floridians.
1953
The Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College
for Negroes becomes Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University.
1954
First Republican since 1885 elected to Congress.
Six Republicans elected to State House of Representatives.
Sunshine Skyway, stretching 15.2 miles across
Lower Tampa Bay, opened to toll traffic.
1955
Legislature authorized state-long turnpike. Lawmakers
deadlocked for months in special session over
reapportionment of State Senate.
1956
LeRoy Collins achieved two political "firsts".
Elected in 1954 to complete the term of the late
Governor McCarty, Collins was the first chief
executive reelected to a successive term. Collins
also was the first candidate for governor to win
a first-primary victory, defeating five opponents
for the Democratic nomination.
1957
Legislature authorized statewide educational television.
Funds appropriated for University of South Florida
and for expansion of network of community colleges.
1958
A second major federal agency, the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration begins operations at
Cape Canaveral. From here, the United States launched
its first earth satellite, Explorer I.
1960
Federal census ranked Florida 10th in nation,
with population of 4,951,560.
1961
Successful launching of astronauts from Cape Canaveral:
Navy Cmdr. Alan Shepard on May 5 and Air Force
Capt. Virgil Grissom on July 21 for suborbital
flight down Atlantic Missile Range. Selection
of Cape as launching site for manned Lunar Landing
Program. Census Bureau ranked Florida ninth among
states in population.
1962
Space Age ramifications, spreading out from Cape
Canaveral's launching base, influenced state in
many ways, higher education and industry being
among the most important of these. Florida was
build-up area for nation's armed forces during
crisis with Russian over missile bases and offensive
weapons in Cuba.
1963
President Lyndon Johnson changes the name Cape
Canaveral to Cape Kennedy and renames the installation
the John F. Kennedy Space Center, in honor of
the late President. Constitution amended to authorize
sale of State bonds to construct buildings at
universities, colleges and vocational schools.
Voters also approved issuance of bonds to purchase
land for conservation purposes. Election of Governor
and Cabinet shifted to off-year from Presidential
election.
1964
First classes held at Florida Atlantic University,
Boca Raton, and University of West Florida was
name given to institution established at Pensacola.
Hurricane Cleo caused property damage estimated
at $115,320,000, but no life was lost.
1965
Board of Regents, of nine members with ultimate
nine-year terms, took over policy-making for the
State's institutions of higher learning from Board
of Control. First U.S. launching of two-man spacecraft.
Majors Edward H. White and James McDivitt orbited
the earth 62 times.
1966
Announcement of the $700 million Walt Disney World
to be built in the Orlando area. Election of Claude
R. Kirk, Jr. as 36th Governor of Florida. Gov.
Kirk was the first Republican Governor since Reconstruction
days. GOP nominees also won three of Florida's
12 seats in U.S. House of Representatives. Voters
approved early-start Legislature, with Senate
and House organizing on Tuesday following November
general election. Previously, Legislature organized
in April.
1967
Repeated efforts by the Legislature to devise
acceptable plan of apportionment ended when three-judge
Federal court drew boundaries of Senate and House
districts and ordered new elections. Republicans
captured 20 of 48 Senate seats and 39 of 119 House
seats.
1968
Legislature submitted and voters ratified three
amendments which combined to give state an almost
new Constitution. Republicans held convention
at Miami Beach, first national gathering of a
major political party ever convened in Florida.
First Republican ever elected by popular ballot
was sent to U.S. Senate. There was a statewide
teacher walkout.
With office reestablished by revised Constitution,
first Lieutenant Governor since 1889 was appointed.
Legislature reorganized State government so that
over 170 separate agencies became 22 operating
departments. On July 16, Apollo 11 lifted off
from Cape Kennedy to carry first men to the moon.
1970
Democrat Reubin Asken was elected Florida's 37th
Governor, defeating incumbent Republican Governor
Claude Kirk in his bid for a second term. Running
mate, Secretary of State Tom Adams, became the
state's second Lieutenant Governor under the revised
constitution of 1968.
1971
Apollo 14, plagued with many troubling incidents,
touches down on the Moon 108 hours after blastoff
from the Kennedy Space Center. Capt. Alan B. Shepard
is in command. President Richard M. Nixon orders
halt to the Cross Florida Barge Canal, after $50
million had been spent on the 107-mile structure.
Amtrak begins operation of service into Orlando.
Apollo 15 astronauts explore the Moon for three
days in a record breaking flight of 12 days, originating
from Kennedy Space Center. Walt Disney World opens
October 1st. Estimated cost of the facility is
between $500 million and $600 million.
1972
Apollo 16, despite guidance malfunction, landed
on the Moon for three days of exploration and
returned to Earth without further incident. Tropical
storm Agnes roared out of the south Atlantic to
cause heavy damage along the eastern seaboard
northward from Miami. Mrs. Paula Hawkings became
the first woman elected to the Florida Public
Service Commission.
1973
Despite fuel shortages in the latter part of the
year, Florida sets an all-time record for influx
of visitors, when 25.5 million people visited
the Sunshine State. After 7-1/2 years and nearly
261,000 refugees, the "freedom flights" from Cuba
come to an end on April 7th. The airlift bringing
refugees into Miami at the rate of 48,000 a year,
helped transform the ethnic makeup of Dade County
adding at least 100,000 Cubans to the 150,000
already there.
1974
Reubin O'D. Askew becomes the first Governor to
be elected to successive four-year terms. Legislature
creates ethics commission to oversee public officers
and employees. Legislature enacts legislation
for collective bargaining by public employees.
1975
State jobless reate hit a 25-year high in January
at 8.3% and eventually unemployment reached 9.3%.
Governor Askew appoints Joseph W. Hatchett to
the Supreme Court, the first black Justice in
the court's history.
1976
Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter tops Alabama
Governor George C. Wallace and 10 other Democrats
in Florida's March Presidential Preference Primary,
giving Carter campaign impetus which led to party's
nomination of him for President. In same primary,
Florida Republicans prefer President Gerald R.
Ford over former California Governor Ronald Reagan.
Carter garners 51.93% of Florida's General Election
vote.
1977
Severe cold devastates citrus and vegetable plantings,
causing President Carter to proclaim 34 counties
disaster areas. U.S. Corps of Engineers recommends
against resumption of construction on Cross Florida
Barge Canal.
1978
Jesse J. McCrary, Jr., appointed Secretary of
State by Governor Reubin O'D. Askew on July 19,
the second black to serve as Secretary of State
and as a member of the Cabinet. Miami businessman
and former State Senator Bob Graham wins election
as Florida's 38th Governor.
1979
Miami Beach reports a record resort tax collection
for its fiscal year. Taxes received from hotel
rooms, food and beverages reached a record high
of $3,727,380. Twentieth Anniversary of Busch
Gardens in Tampa. Grand opening of the Museum
of Botany and Fine Arts at the Marie Selby Botanical
Gardens in Sarasota. This marks the first time
science and art are combined in a setting such
as this.
1980
Miami Seaquarium celebrates its 25th Anniversary.
Tampa opens its own $6.2 million water theme park,
Adventure Island. Bill raising drinking age from
18 to 19 is passed. All military personnel are
excluded.
1981
First manned Space Shuttle launches made from
Kennedy Space Center, with launch schedules to
increase in the the year ahead. Unmanned rockets
with payloads scheduled approximately every month
by NASA from KSC launch pads.
1982
Florida Legislature completes difficult reapportionment
after extended session. Gov. Bob Graham reelected
for a second term. The $800 million EPCOT Center
opens at Walt Disney World.
1983
Space shuttle Challenger launches 5-member crew
and first American woman, Sally Ride, into space
from Kennedy Space Center. |
Biography
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