The History Of Florida

By Author: Jesse Henson
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American Indian history in Florida can be traced to as early as 14,000 years ago, when it is believed the first Native Americans entered the region and established settlements. Prior to the last ice age, Florida was an island separated from the North American mainland by a body of water that sat over the top of what are today the northernmost sections of the state. During the last ice age, waters receded and the Florida peninsula was actually about twice the size of the modern state.

During the period when the waters were lower, the first land mammals and humans made their way into the region which had a drier and cooler climate than does the modern-day Florida. There were few rivers and other larger bodies of water. For this reason, most of the early human inhabitants of the region established encampments around sinkholes and basins in order to have access to water. Paleolithic peoples left behind a multitude of artifacts later discovered by colonists, settlers, and scientists.

As the last ice age came to a close around 8,000 B.C.E., the climate in Florida changed. It became more similar to that with which modern ...
... Floridians are accustomed -- warmer and wetter. The sea level rose as glaciers around the globe melted and large portions of the Florida peninsula were once again covered by water, creating the modern land mass that is the present-day state.

People continued to occupy the region in the years following the last ice age, frequently establishing full settlements near the ocean, fresh water ponds and lakes in the area. Most of what is known of the early inhabitants of Florida is surmised by archeologists in the study of dig sites found throughout the state.

Recorded history of the region begins with the arrival of the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon who made his way to Florida in 1512. He recorded encountering native populations of people living in villages and towns.

At the time of the first European contact, it is estimated that there were nearly 350,000 people belonging to a variety of tribes in the area. The Spanish recorded the names of the tribes they encountered, and these tribes numbered nearly 100.

The native populations of Florida decreased after the arrival of the first Europeans. As in most of North America, the arrival of Europeans also brought new diseases to which the natives had no natural immunity or resistance. Between the 1500s and 1700s, Florida's native population dropped sharply as a result of illness and conflict.

In the 1500s, the French and Spanish were both busy exploring Florida. Both countries established minor settlements in the region. The Spanish eventually won out over the French though, taking possession of the region by the mid-1560s, establishing Spanish dominance in the area that would last for nearly 200 years.

From the early 1700s through the early 1800s, Florida was a battleground. The Spanish, French and British all vied for portions of the territory. Colonial settlers and American Indians from other regions moved into the area. Following the American Revolution, American settlers also invaded the region, some of whom did so of their own accord, while others were granted land plots by the absent Spanish rulers.

As a result of the increased conflict among a population already previously decimated by disease, many Floridian tribes became extinct during this period. One of the few exceptions is the Seminole Tribe of present-day Florida. The Seminoles welcomed runaway slaves from the British colonies into their tribal fold, establishing a unique culture and population of mixed Indian, African and Black American heritage.

Florida was an organized territory of the United States in March of 1822. Between 1837 and 1842, the Seminole Indians and the United States were at war, with the Indians attempting to maintain their lands in the region. Though the Seminole held out longer and better than most tribes in period, most of the Seminole Indians were forcibly moved to what is present-day Mississippi in 1842, though a few hundred were allowed to remain the Florida Everglades.

In the 1850s, the Seminoles fought another war with the United States. Though it lasted for nearly four years, the end result was that very few of the natives remained in the Florida Everglades. In spite of this, the present-day tribe is strong and has remained a rich part of Florida's ethnic and cultural heritage.

In March of 1845, Florida was granted statehood, becoming the 27th state in The Union. At the time, nearly half of the state's population was enslaved and working on large sugar and cotton plantations. During the American Civil War, Florida sided with the southern states against the North and suffered similar losses as other southern states. Florida was readmitted to the United States after the Civil War in 1868.
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