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History of Florida: A Captivating Guide to the People and Events That Shaped the History of the Sunshine State
If you want to discover the enchanting history of Florida, continue reading!
Sunshine, beaches, sports teams, amusement parks, and more contribute to Florida being ranked as the second most visited state in the United States of America. People flock to Florida to enjoy its weather, culture, people, and its rich history.
Florida’s history spans thousands of years, lasting from prehistoric times up to today. The Ice Age, European exploration, wars, the Cuban Revolution, and the Space Race have all woven together to create today’s Florida. With this unique blend of cultures, Florida is able to distinguish itself from the other fifty states.
In History of A Captivating Guide to the People and Events That Shaped the History of the Sunshine State, you will explore topics such indigenous people of the area and how they interacted with the European settlersThe early settlements of Florida, including a look at St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the USThe relationship between the Spanish and British settlers and their disputes over the landThe annexation of Florida to the United StatesThe brutality of the Civil War and how it impacted the Sunshine StateThe Reconstruction era and how it affected Florida’s economy and governmentCuba’s Castro and how the Cuban people have influenced the stateFlorida’s important role in the Space RaceThe controversial election that saw George Bush become presidentFlorida’s devastating hurricane seasonsAnd much more!
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about the History of Florida!
Sunshine, beaches, sports teams, amusement parks, and more contribute to Florida being ranked as the second most visited state in the United States of America. People flock to Florida to enjoy its weather, culture, people, and its rich history.
Florida’s history spans thousands of years, lasting from prehistoric times up to today. The Ice Age, European exploration, wars, the Cuban Revolution, and the Space Race have all woven together to create today’s Florida. With this unique blend of cultures, Florida is able to distinguish itself from the other fifty states.
In History of A Captivating Guide to the People and Events That Shaped the History of the Sunshine State, you will explore topics such indigenous people of the area and how they interacted with the European settlersThe early settlements of Florida, including a look at St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the USThe relationship between the Spanish and British settlers and their disputes over the landThe annexation of Florida to the United StatesThe brutality of the Civil War and how it impacted the Sunshine StateThe Reconstruction era and how it affected Florida’s economy and governmentCuba’s Castro and how the Cuban people have influenced the stateFlorida’s important role in the Space RaceThe controversial election that saw George Bush become presidentFlorida’s devastating hurricane seasonsAnd much more!
Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to learn more about the History of Florida!
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
130 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 14, 2022
87 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 27, 2022
I read this book for two reasons: (1) It was free with my trial of Kindle Unlimited; and (2) my husband and I own a home in Fort Myers where we spend the winter months.
I’m not much for history overview books, but this and the two histories of Hawaii were interesting to me as a starting point for further research and reading.
On the whole the book was a non-intimidating introduction to the history of Florida from about 5,000 BCE forward. Since the authors obviously had a specific audience in mind and didn’t want to lose anyone along the way, it was kept to a brief overview in most areas.
The whole of this book needed better editing. There are a few sections that were just not written very well and more than one that was just confusing.
Some parts of this history recitation were a little too cursory. The description of native peoples from 3,000 BCE forward is just one section. The description of the atlatl, the spear-throwing implement is confusing, and I have seen several in museums. Without that pre-knowledge I would’ve had a tough time visualizing what was described. You shouldn’t have to go to the internet to figure out a description.
There are also typos in the text that COMPLETELY change the history! I’ll touch on just a couple of glaring ones
The first typo that changes history is that in 1562 Jean Ribault sailed FROM France to North America, NOT the other way around as stated in the text!
When discussing the NASA layoffs in 2011, the author(s) state that Florida EMPLOYMENT was already at 12%! Well that feeds into what people from other states think about Florida. But it should read “UNEMPLOYMENT.” If it hadn’t been a tragedy for so many, the mistake itself would’ve been funny. PROOFREADING!!!!!!!!
Also, in the discussion of WWII military training fields, the prominent training fields Page Field (“Fort Myers Army Airfield” during WWII) and Buckingham Army Airfield were missed entirely! These were located in Fort Myers. Page regained its original name and serves the area as a General Aviation airport now, but Buckingham has been converted into a small, privately-owned airport used by the Lee County Mosquito Control District. Also skipped was the Naples Army Airfield (now “Naples Airport”) and Punta Gorda Army Airfield (now “Punta Gorda Airport”). The author(s) allude to many training fields but they could’ve done their homework.
Finally, the author(s) start talking about the individuals Shepherd and Irvin after introducing The Groveland Four case. Who? I went back in the text to see who they were. Nothing. Then further forward into the reading their connection to the Groveland Four case is explained. Very poor writing! You ALWAYS connect the people to the topic prior to using a shorthand reference in the text.
The book is only an intro to Florida history, but maybe you should do some fact-checking on anything that’s important to you….
I’m not much for history overview books, but this and the two histories of Hawaii were interesting to me as a starting point for further research and reading.
On the whole the book was a non-intimidating introduction to the history of Florida from about 5,000 BCE forward. Since the authors obviously had a specific audience in mind and didn’t want to lose anyone along the way, it was kept to a brief overview in most areas.
The whole of this book needed better editing. There are a few sections that were just not written very well and more than one that was just confusing.
Some parts of this history recitation were a little too cursory. The description of native peoples from 3,000 BCE forward is just one section. The description of the atlatl, the spear-throwing implement is confusing, and I have seen several in museums. Without that pre-knowledge I would’ve had a tough time visualizing what was described. You shouldn’t have to go to the internet to figure out a description.
There are also typos in the text that COMPLETELY change the history! I’ll touch on just a couple of glaring ones
The first typo that changes history is that in 1562 Jean Ribault sailed FROM France to North America, NOT the other way around as stated in the text!
When discussing the NASA layoffs in 2011, the author(s) state that Florida EMPLOYMENT was already at 12%! Well that feeds into what people from other states think about Florida. But it should read “UNEMPLOYMENT.” If it hadn’t been a tragedy for so many, the mistake itself would’ve been funny. PROOFREADING!!!!!!!!
Also, in the discussion of WWII military training fields, the prominent training fields Page Field (“Fort Myers Army Airfield” during WWII) and Buckingham Army Airfield were missed entirely! These were located in Fort Myers. Page regained its original name and serves the area as a General Aviation airport now, but Buckingham has been converted into a small, privately-owned airport used by the Lee County Mosquito Control District. Also skipped was the Naples Army Airfield (now “Naples Airport”) and Punta Gorda Army Airfield (now “Punta Gorda Airport”). The author(s) allude to many training fields but they could’ve done their homework.
Finally, the author(s) start talking about the individuals Shepherd and Irvin after introducing The Groveland Four case. Who? I went back in the text to see who they were. Nothing. Then further forward into the reading their connection to the Groveland Four case is explained. Very poor writing! You ALWAYS connect the people to the topic prior to using a shorthand reference in the text.
The book is only an intro to Florida history, but maybe you should do some fact-checking on anything that’s important to you….
March 23, 2025
Started listening to this on the way to Florida for a scuba-diving trip, and finished it coming back from Rome. Regardless of where I was, I came away knowing much more than I did before about (in my opinion) one of the most interesting states.
March 22, 2022
A nice primer on Florida
This book is a nice primer on the history of the great state of Florida. No fluff, just a high level view.
This book is a nice primer on the history of the great state of Florida. No fluff, just a high level view.
April 5, 2022
Good overview of Florida's History
As a long term visitor and now a resident of Florida, I learned a lot about the state where I live!
As a long term visitor and now a resident of Florida, I learned a lot about the state where I live!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews