How the New Deal Built Florida Tourism: The Civilian Conservation Corps and State Parks

by David J. Nelson, Paul Woodson (Narrator)

Countering the conventional narrative that Florida's tourism industry suffered during the Great Depression, this book shows that the 1930s were the starting point for much that characterizes modern Florida's tourism. David Nelson argues that state and federal government programs designed to reboot the economy during this decade are crucial to understanding the state today.

Nelson examines the impact of three connected initiatives—the federal New Deal, its Civilian Conservation Corps program (CCC), and the CCC's creation of the Florida Park Service. He reveals that the CCC designed state parks to reinforce the popular image of Florida as a tropical, exotic, and safe paradise. The CCC often removed native flora and fauna, introduced exotic species, and created artificial landscapes that were then presented as natural. Nelson discusses how Florida business leaders benefitted from federally funded development and the ways residents and business owners rejected or supported the commercialization and shifting cultural identity of their state.

A detailed look at a unique era in which the state government sponsored the tourism industry, helped commodify natural resources, and boosted mythical ideas of the "Real Florida" that endure today, this book makes the case that the creation of the Florida Park Service is the story of modern Florida.

Audible Audio

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

David J. Nelson earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Georgia, and he also holds a M.A. in International and Comparative Politics from the University of Ottawa. He currently lives in Brazil with his wife, Letty, his son, Andre, and his dog, Julie. The street address of their home is 8.