Before the Pioneers: Indians, Settlers, Slaves, and the Founding of Miami

by Andrew K. Frank

Formed seemingly out of steel, glass, and concrete, with millions of residents from around the globe, Miami has ancient roots that can be hard to imagine today. Before the Pioneers takes readers back through forgotten eras to the stories of the people who shaped the land along the Miami River long before most modern histories of the city begin. Andrew Frank begins the chronicle of the Magic City’s long history 4,000 years ago when Tequesta Indians settled at the mouth of the river, erecting burial mounds, ceremonial centers, and villages. They created a network of constructed and natural waterways through the Everglades and trade routes to the distant Calusa on the west coast. Centuries later, the area became a stopover for Spanish colonists on their way to Havana, a haven where they could shelter from storms and obtain freshwater, lumber, and other supplies. Frank brings to life the vibrant colonies of fugitives and seafarers that formed on the shores of Biscayne Bay in the eighteenth century. He tells of the emergence of the tropical fruit plantations and the accompanying enslaved communities, as well as the military occupation during the Seminole Wars. Eventually, the small seaport town flourished with the coming of “pioneers” like Julia Tuttle and Henry Flagler who promoted the city as a place of luxury and brought new waves of residents from the North. Frank pieces together the material culture and the historical record of the Miami River to re-create the fascinating past of one of the world’s most influential cities.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Indigenous

160 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2017

About the author

Andrew K. Frank, associate professor of history at Florida State University, is the author of Creeks and Southerners: Biculturalism on the Early American Frontier.

Reviews

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before The Pioneers is a history of pre-Flagler Miami, but very specifically focused on the mouth of the Miami River (i.e. downtown) especially "The North Bank". It's on the short side - 161 pages, only 112 of which are main text.

As is typical for a university press this book is well-researched and well-cited, but I found it a more enjoyable read than average and read through it at a brisk pace. I like the focus on the more obscure part of Miami's history, including Bahamian activity and a short-lived slave plantation.

One thing that stuck out to me as odd is a paragraph mentioning the capture and executive of Chakaika, leader of of the "Spanish Indians" during the Second Seminole war, by soldiers from Fort Dallas. No mention is given of the context of this execution - namely, that it was in revenge for Chakaika's raid on Indian Key.

The book's tight focus feels a little too tight, hyper-focused on a very small area at the expense of telling a more complete story of the Biscayne Bay area. In particular, the pre-Tuttle/Flagler white pioneers in the Miami area are also mostly left out because of the tight focus. This seems like a good hundred-page book that could have been a great 200-300 page book.

Recommended to this interested in Florida history.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This was a very accessible and quick scholarly work on Miami. I learned a lot about the indigenous peoples of Miami, the Tequestas, that I did not know before! I now want to see the Miami Circle.

[Peppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. A nice concise

early history account of Florida

[Sue Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning history is an ongoing event.

A fascinating book about the beginning history of Miami the North Ridge and South Florida. When I go to visit Miami for the first time in January, I will look at it through open eyes.