The Florida History Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Florida History Podcast
A weekly look at a different fascintating topic in Florida History Cover art photo by Derek Reese. @DR928
We discuss the Dade Battle, Wiley Thompson's murder by Chief Osceola and the Withlacoochee Cove
In Episode 262 we discuss the Second Seminole War producing a unique class of officers that served both the United States and Confederate States of America in the Civil War.
The Second Seminole War wasn't simply about removing the natives. It was about a lot more.
The 1832 Treaty of Paynes Landing was signed and designed to send the Seminoles to the Arkansas Territory and have runaway slaves returned to their owners.
The Seminoles did not honor the treaty which they argue was misrepresented to them.
We conclude our season on Amusement Parks and Florida in discussing EPCOT Center in the late 1990's and all the changes that turned many enthusiasts off.
We discuss the disastrous tenure of Michael Ovitz at Disney and the subsequent cost-cutting and ride-closing at the Magic Kingdom.
We pay tribute to the greatest Floridian of recent memory, Governor and Senator Bob Graham who passed away this week at the age of 87
We begin describing how Disney's amusement park business changed in the 1990's. We cover the period until the appointment of Michael Ovitz.
We discuss the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990 and the seismic events it created for the landscape in Central Florida.
We discuss one of the most beloved attractions at the Magic Kingdom, the Country Bear Jamboree.
Disney is a media company and Florida wants more film and television in the state - so the simple solution is for Disney to be incentivized to build a film studio as a "third gate" on its property.
However things don't go to plan as Disney itself is in a rotten period as a company.
EPCOT Center was a grand vision of Walt Disney. But the eventual park was not only not true to Walt's vision but dramatically scaled-down and over-budget from what had been planned in the 1970's.
We discuss the original plans, then the plan for 30 nations in the World Showcase and where it went wrong.
We also focus on Florida at the time, and how EPCOT became a grand project for the vision of 1970's and 1980's Florida - forward looking, progressive in terms of diversity and foreign commerce, futuristic and cutting-edge.
This week we discuss the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 including the popularity of some of its original attractions like its a Small World, Carousel of Progress and Country Bear Jamboree but also discuss the environmental and traffic impact of the park which angered local residents.
Walt Disney's Florida Project is thrown into doubt with Walt's untimely December 1966 passing, but brother Roy Disney keep pushing toward a 1971 opening of the Magic Kingdom. But EPCOT will have to wait.
In the first episode of our new season on Florida amusement parks, we discuss the years between 1959 and 1965 when Walt Disney began looking for a site for a second Disney park, and the process to finally arrive at a Central Florida site.
A new season of the Florida History Podcast begins next Tuesday as we take a deep dive into the history of Walt Disney World and other amusement parks in Florida.
We look at how the 3rd, 4th and 5th President interacted with Spanish Florida, from research Kartik Krishnaiyer conducted in writing his new book "The American Conquest of Florida."
We discuss the 1565 massacre of French protestants by the Spanish at the current site of Fort Matanzas.
Dr Angela Zombek joins us again to discuss and an area which she is working on a book related to - Key West in Civil War.
Key West was central to union war planning and the city went through many trials and tribulations during the war as most residents were confederate sympathizers in a union-held town.
On this episode we discuss Egmont Key with Dr Angela Zombek.
Here is Dr Zombek's written work on Egmont Key's history:
https://www.journalofthecivilwarera.org/2016/08/paradise-lost-floridas-egmont-key-civil-war/
We conclude our fort series by discussing the Spanish-American War fort that stimulated Miami's growth.
We discuss Fort Myers, the Third Seminole War and the unconquered Seminoles that survived FIVE attempts by the United States to conquer them or drive them west.
Continuing our fort series we discuss Fort Gadsden" also know as the negro fort which was built by the British in 1812 and was the scene of the Americans slaughtering runaway African-Americans and Seminole during the First Seminole War.
Ryan Ray joins us to discuss Fort Jefferson, the latest stop on our tour of Florida forts.
Dr. Angela Zombek of UNC-Wilmington, who is one of the foremost experts on Florida and the Civil War joins us to discuss the pivotal role that Key West's Fort Taylor played in Union war planning at the very highest levels and in the Civil War in general.
Before we move to West Florida in our ongoing series of Forts we discuss why West Florida developed differently than East Florida during colonial times and how that led to long-term the Panhandle being different than the entire peninsula as well as the big bend region.
On this week's Florida History Podcast we dive deep into discussions around Colonial Florida when we talk to Kevin Kokomoor about his new book La Florida.
This is part 2 of a two-part conversation about the book which puts Florida, and its founding as well as its development at the heart of the origin stories about the United States
On this week's Florida History Podcast we dive deep into discussions around Colonial Florida when we talk to Kevin Kokomoor about his new book La Florida.
This is part 1 of a two-part conversation about the book which puts Florida, and its founding as well as its development at the heart of the origin stories about the United States
This week we discuss Fort Clinch, a masonry fort in Fernandina Beach that was built in the mid 1800's.
We discuss Fort Mose, which beyond being a defensive fort around St Augustine was the first free African-American settlement in what is now the USA.
In our second episode of our series on Florida forts we discuss the Castillo de San Marcos and defending Spanish St Augustine of the colonial period.
We kick off our series on Florida forts with Fort Caroline which is now a National Monument in Duval County.
Kartik's new book Florida and the American Revolution is now for sale at Amazon.com!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGZ87YN4
Ryan Ray and Kartik Krishnaiyer discuss how Florida became the most American of places despite a rich colonial history that was unlike the rest of North America.
We take a week off from history to replay Kartik's recent appearance on the Beyond Politics podcast discussing Ron DeSantis reset and why Donald Trump is (at the time of this podcast) cruising to renomination by the GOP.
We'll return to history discussions next week.
We divert from history this week to talk Climate Action and policy solutions with former Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) who runs an organization that is seeking to facilitate free market solutions to the Climate Change crisis. He's focusing heavily, as you would expect on Florida.
On August 4, Robert Buccellato's sequel to Rum Runners and Moonshiners of Old Florida will be released. We discuss why a second book which focuses more on south Florida and other issues related to prohibition and the depression era in Florida.
In Episode 219 Kartik Krishnaiyer discusses his new book which dives into Florida's interactions with the British in the pre Revolutionary War period. Included in this discussion is the critical role runaway slaves played in Florida making the colony fundamentally different in the colonial period than the rest of North America. Krishnaiyer also discusses the cosmopolitan aspect of St Augustine when compared to other North American cities of the 1600's and 1700's.
Josh Liller joins us once again this week, this time to discuss the 1838 Battles of the Loxahatchee River, the last traditional set piece battles of the Second Seminole War.
We're joined by Josh Liller the Historian and Collections Manager for the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum to discuss the Jupiter Lighthouse and its unique history as well as the role General George Meade played in its construction, the history of World War II operations in the area and the historic museum and exhibits on the ground.
Check out Kartik Krishnaiyer's new book which is available for Kindle or in Paperback on Amazon today!
Ryan Ray joins us to discuss one of the most unique and important locations in Florida- Fort Jefferson and Dry Tortugas National Park.
We discuss Florida's cession to the United States, Jackson as territorial governor and other loose ends.
The Monroe Administration is split on Jackson's invasion of Florida. Some like John C. Calhoun despite being proponents of slavery are concerned about the reaction from the British and the Spanish. But an unlikely source comes to Jackson's rescue.
We get into the heart of the Jackson conquest of Florida. Illegal encroachment on Spanish-held territory and racially-motivated brutality against runaway slaves as well as Seminole people characterize this period. We also discuss the influence of Britain on the conflict and their relationship with the native people of Florida and Georgia.
The Spanish had invited the British to garrison troops in Pensacola in 1814. Meanwhile Andrew Jackson is fighting Creek Native Americans in Georgia and pursues them into Florida illegally. Britain and the US are in a declared war. You can guess what happens next. Jackson defeats the British and Spanish in Pensacola and begins his five year conquest of what remains of Spanish Florida.
We discuss the short-lived Republic of West Florida and the US annexation of areas of Florida west of the Perdido River. These locales are now in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
In the second episode of our series on Andrew Jackson and the Conquest of Florida, we discuss The Louisiana Purchase and how it impacted Florida. US negotiators were more interested in acquiring Florida than the vast wilderness of the west at the time.
On our first pod of a new series, we discuss why the United States was so committed to stealing Florida from Spain in the early 1800's. We cover the period from the Revolution until the 1820's in this series and discuss the broader themes we will explore in future pods in this episode.
For the next two weeks we're going to play part one and part two of Kartik's recent appearance on the Beyond Politics podcast discussing Florida's evolution from progressive state in the 1970's, to neoliberal/DLC state in the 1980's and 1990's to competitive leans conservative state in the 2000's to Tea Party state in the 2010's and MAGA Central in the 2020's.
We discuss Julia Tuttle and Bertha Palmer today on the Florida History Podcast, and discuss how both coaxed the railroads on either coast south from their previous terminus' (West Palm Beach and Tampa) toward to Miami and Sarasota.
We discuss one of the most remarkable female Floridians of all time, May Mann Jennings, First Lady from 1901-1905, who became a leading conservationist and activist as well.
We discuss Florida's first female member of Congress, who was the daughter of one of most famous political figures in American history.
Continuing our Women's History Month theme we discuss Zora Neale Hurston, one of the most famous Floridians in multiple fields.
This week for Women's History Month 2023 we talk about two very famous Florida women who were both writers.
On this Women's History Month themed Florida History Podcast we discuss Marjorie Harris Carr's fight against the Cross Florida Barge Canal and her impact in influencing the politics of Florida.
We discuss the 1889 visit to Florida of Frederick Douglass one of the greatest Americans in history.
Florida played a large role in the Civil Rights Movement - and was a critical stage in the fight over the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
We continue our Black History Month series with a look at a dark, dark period in Florida's History. The 1920's until the 1960's. Key figures are NAACP President Harry T. Moore who was the victim of an assassination in Titusville in 1951 and Lake County Sheriff Willis McCall whose control over local police departments in Central Florida and connections to the Ku Klux Klan allowed Florida to be the lynching capital of the United States in this period.
In this second episode of our Black History Month 2023 series, we discuss runaway slaves escaping to British-held territories in the 1800's.
To kick of Black History Month at the Florida History Podcast we discuss several topics we have previously touched upon in greater detail - the impact of runaway slaves on Spanish Florida in the 18th Century, the free black settlement of Fort Mose and the critical role free African-Americans took in defending Florida from British conquest.
The Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park is in Flagler County and yields a lot of history to discuss from the early 1800's in Florida.
We discuss President McKinley's 1899 visit to Tallahassee, including the State Capitol and Florida A&M University. This was the first ever Presidential visit to Florida's capital city.
In this episode of The Florida History Podcast we look back at the enormous contributions of Mary McLeod Bethune, who the state has honored as a designee in Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington DC.
Ryan Ray, Chair of the Leon Democrats joins us to discuss the collapse of the Democratic Party in Florida elections.
We discuss the events leading up to the opening of the Sunshine State Parkway (now Florida's Turnpike) in 1957 and then changes to the road in the 1960's.
On New Years Eve 1896, a ship with a famous passenger, Stephen Crane and lots of armaments for Cuban revolutionaries left Jacksonville for Havana. It never made it. We tell the story in this podcast.
We discuss the famous 1715 Treasure Fleet which washed up near modern day Vero Beach and the character of Henry Jennings a British privateer. turned pirate who was instrumental in the theft of some of the riches from the fleet.
In a short episode this week, we discuss the 1883 Ocala Fire which destroyed two luxury hotels and six city blocks. Ocala was a frontier town at the time but was rebuilt and became a key Florida city in the aftermath.
On Episode 185 we discuss the Koreshan Unity a religious movement that empowered women that set up a town on the banks of the Estero River in Lee County. The area is now part of the Koreshan State Historic Park.
On this episode we discuss the building of the Overseas Railroad from Miami to Key West - an engineering marvel.
In this week's Florida History Podcast, we dive into Jeb Bush historic 1998 victory that ushered in an era of GOP dominance at the state level.
Bob Martinez is elected in a banner GOP year that began the state's drift toward the GOP.
A special treat this week on The Florida History Podcast as Voting Rights Attorney Nick Warren, from the ACLU Florida joins us to take us through the odyssey of voting rights in Jacksonville and Duval County since the 1967 consolidation charter up until today and the court decision regarding City Council and School Board districts.
1970 was supposed to be a banner GOP year in Florida. But infighting turned Republican against Republican, and led to a banner Democratic year headlined by Reubin Askew's rout of sitting Governor Claude Kirk.
In 1966 Governor Haydon Burns was denied renomination by the Democrats who opted for liberal Miami Mayor Robert King High instead of the conservative Burns. This led to a mass exodus of Democrats from their ancestral party in the fall election, where they backed Republican Claude Kirk. With his win, Kirk became the first GOP Governor in 90 years and ushered in an apparent realignment in Florida politics.
2022 is a Governor's Election year.
For the rest of the month we will focus on past Governor's races that proved turning points in Florida's History.
We start with 1952.
Using the career of former GOP Governor Charlie Crist , who is currently the Democrats nominee for Governor as a reference point, we go through the history of the GOP in Pinellas County, the home of the traditional moderate Republican in the Sunshine State.
With Ian approaching Florida we take a look back at September storms that impacted Florida previously from 1935 to present day.
In this episode we chronicle the 1774 journey of William Bartram through East Florida and exploration of the St Johns River.
We discuss the Cross Florida Barge Canal project, long in the making that got cancelled in 1971.
We discuss Florida's central role in the US' first modern military conflict: the Spanish-American War of 1898.
We discuss General and President Zachary Taylor's tremendous relationship and impact upon Florida.
We discuss the escape of runaway slaves to the Bahamas and Caribbean via Florida in the 1800's.
Of the first 16 movies in the 007 franchise, Florida was involved in filming of five of them, with Goldfinger and License to Kill being set partly in Florida. We discuss those films, plus why Casino Royale was not filmed in Florida despite much of the movie being set in Miami.
We discuss the history of Disney's Reddy Creek Improvement District, signed into law in 1967 and rescinded in 2022 by the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis.
We launch a new season of the podcast today. New topics and fresh looks/deeper dives at topics we've previously discussed.
In this podcast, 50 years on we take a fresh look at Watergate and Florida.
The Civil Rights movements St Augustine campaign had one of its most important moments at this spot.
Chief Osceola’s resting place is in South Carolina where he was moved after being taken prisoner.
We discuss Fort King, an important(present) Marion County US fort which existed from 1827 to 1844.
In part two of our look back at the Florida GOP’s evolution we cover the years from Jeb Bush to Ron DeSantis.
We discuss the evolution of the Florida GOP from 1960 to 2000 talking ideology, environment and political success
We look at the site of the second battle of the Loxahatchee River which took place in January 1838.
Our first video episode features the battle site of Powell’s Battle, The First Battle of Loxahatchee in the second Seminole War.
Update on Podcast - next few weeks we will feature video programming also available on YouTube. A new season of audio content with Robert & Kartik beginning in July is being planned now. Thanks for listening!
We close out our Albion Florida series with a quick look at the Second Spanish Period from 1784-1821. We discuss lingering British influence, a state of anarchy that has developed and Florida’s importance to the new United States which sought to incorporate it in the new nation.
St Augustine's population swelled with loyalists and prisoners' including signers of the Declaration of Independence. By early 1781, St Augustine had one of the largest populations in British North America and was heavily fortified. British St Augustine was at its apex, but American victory at Yorktown would change everything.
We discuss the 1781 siege of Pensacola and its critical role in securing the ultimate American victory at Yorktown, later that year.
We discuss the Spanish and American efforts to free West Florida from British rule between 1779 and 1781.
The American Continental Army tried three times to invade East Florida. The region had a military significance and even George Washington was concerned about the British presence in St Augustine. All three times they were repulsed before crossing the St Johns River.
We discuss Governor Patrick Tonyn's missteps that left East Florida vulnerable as well as the Continental Army's first attempted invasion for East Florida.
Why did Florida stay loyal to Britain during the American Revolution? We discuss the factors.
We introduce why Florida was so important in the American Revolution despite the lack of teaching about it in schools.
We discuss the repopulation of St Augustine, Pensacola's importance, the founding of New Smyrna Beach, the early citrus industry and the St Johns River in this episode.
In this episode we discuss the British takeover of Florida and why the British made Florida an important strategic point in their empire. Florida was , contrary to the mythical American narrative about the era, critical between 1763 and 1782. We begin the road to the American Revolution with this episode.
In this episode we discuss the economics of slavery and The War of Jenkins Ear including the 1740 British Siege of St Augustine .
The first free African-American settlement in North America is created in Florida and that leads to the region's largest largest slave rebellion to the north in South Carolina. We discuss that and the general build up to the War of Jenkins Ear.
In this episode we discuss the worst period of Florida's Colonial History, Queen Anne's War from 1703 onward. This period left Florida depopulated and an economic basket-case, a far cry from the thriving colony of the previous 100 years.
We discuss the origins of Queen Anne's War including its links to the European War of Spanish Succession. The war kicked off in 1702 and would prove a calamitous event for Florida. We discuss the issues in 1702, and the battles that took place that year. including the siege of St Augustine by the English.
On the second episode of our Albion Florida series we discuss the reasons the Castillo de San Marcos was built, the frequent raiding of La Florida by English and French pirates as well as the founding on Pensacola and the process by which the Spanish Crown finally built a secure fort in St Augustine.
In the introduction to our series designed to bust historical myths, we discuss why Florida was different than the other European colonies in North America as well as discussing the El Camino Real road that connected St Augustine with towns in the interior of the colony.
We discuss previous Florida Governors whose ideology wasn't conservative or liberal but were in fact populists.
We discuss a particularly infamous legislative panel in Florida's History- the Charley Johns led FLIC.
For Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday we discuss Civil Rights and 1964 in Florida including the St Augustine Movement and legislative fights over Civil Rights.
Claude Pepper's second political career as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1963 until his death in 1989 stands as one of the greatest second acts in American political history.
MSNBC contributor Fernand Amandi joins us to discuss the extensive ties between President John F. Kennedy and the state of Florida.
Former Secretary of State Bruce Smathers joins us to discuss the legacy of his father the late US senator George Smathers.
We discuss Senator Smathers time in the US House, the 1950election and his ascendency into the Democratic Party leadership in the US Senate.
MSNBC contributor Fernand Amandi joins Kartik Krishnaiyer to discuss the surprisingly extensive links between the Beatles and the State of Florida. Outside the United Kingdom and perhaps India, it can be argued Florida contributed more to the Beatles story than any other place on the planet.
Current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis embraced the motto "Let Us Alone" in introducing his new Florida Guard idea.
On this edition of The Florida History Podcast, Robert Buccellato and Kartik Krishnaiyer discuss Democratic Governor William Dunn Moseley who originated the motto and used it on his personal state flag. Moseley was a leading establishment Democrat who became the state's first Governor after statehood winning a close contest with former Territorial Governor, Richard Keith Call, a Whig. Moseley was a Jacksonian Democrat, Call more of a Clay Whig, as Florida politics resembled broader US politics at the time.
We've talked a lot about George Smathers on previous podcasts, but why is The Florida Squeeze and this podcast launching a project to look comprehensively at Smathers career? We answer that question this week.
Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis in response to the idea of systemic racism in highway building said "a road is a road." Well, on this week's podcast we will demonstrate that is not the case with several examples from the state of Florida where roads were built right through African-American neighborhoods. Brook Hines joins Kartik Krishnaiyer to discuss this sorry history.
We look back at the life of Congressman Charles Bennett with a special contribution from Florida Squeeze writer and former Bennett staffer, Scott Gaillard. We also discus our upcoming Florida Squeeze series on Senator George Smathers.
On this episode we look back at Congressman and Governor Millard Caldwell who led the state during World War II.
Reubin Askew originally didn't want to run for re-election. He eventually choose to run for a second term as Governor. In the race, he overcame a well-funded Democratic primary challenge from the right and a party-switching former Senate President in the General.
On Episode 127 we discus Florida's first African-American statewide elected official, Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs.
On today's episode we debut our new audio studio mixing setup - Kartik Krishnaiyer flies solo in discussing the career of Josiah Walls, Florida's first African-American member of Congress who served the state in Washington during the 1870's. Smalls was a freed slave who won the Republican nomination for House in 1870 after serving briefly in the State Senate. He returned to the State Senate after being unseated from Congress and was also briefly the Mayor of Gainesville before teaching at what is now Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
We discuss one of Florida's greatest authors, Patrick D. Smith author of A Land Remembered and more.
On this week's Florida History Podcast we discuss the devastating 1926 hurricane that (adjusted for inflation) is the most costly hurricane in terms of economic damages in American history.
Why are a group of parishes in Louisiana called "The Florida Parishes?" We answer that question and discuss the short lived Republic of West Florida in this episode.
We discuss some of the greatest Florida artists, the African-American Highwaymen this week.
We discuss the decision to secede from the union and the politics of Florida during the Civil War in this espisode.
We discuss former Florida LT Governor and Governor Wayne Mixson who recently passed away.
We discuss the great freeze of 1894-95 it’s impact on the citrus industry and it triggering a growth of citrus in California while also promoting Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Miami. Florida’s citrus industry recovered eventually but citrus production was cut by almost 600% at one point due to the freeze’s impact and even five years later Florida was only producing 20% of the citrus crop it did before the freeze. In time areas like Polk County and Indian River region became mega-Citrus producing areas and eventually Florida became one of the world’s largest citrus producing areas again.
We look back at the career of former Speaker of the House and Commissioner of Education Ralph Turlington.
We conclude our series on the first Underground Railroad, Freedom in Florida with a look at the 1784 to 1821 time period when the Spanish again ruled East and West Florida.
On Episode 112 of the Florida History Podcast, Kartik Krishnaiyer gives his own views on Critical Race Theory and the teaching of history in Florida schools. His view is nuanced but also very critical of Governor DeSantis and the myths of American History, but also critical of the narrative that eliminates Florida's importance and discounts the importance of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Catholicism in Florida and the US.
In Part III of our series on runaway slaves finding freedom in Florida we cover the American Revolution and slaves from southern plantations escaping the newly-declared independent United States to the British Colony of East Florida. We also discuss the efforts of the British to arm slaves and strike terror into the hearts of patriot plantation owners by sending brigades of slaves and former slaves that were armed in Florida into Georgia and the Carolina's.
This episode covers the period between 1739 and 1763.
In 1740, Britain and Spain were once again at war.
For the British in London, knocking Spain out of the war was strategic in a larger global conflict. For the Anglo-American colonists in Georgia and the Carolina’s invading Florida was more about crushing black freedom and extending slavery. Another clear motivation was the hostility of Anglican settlers of the British areas to Catholicism.
We discuss the heroic defense of St Augustine in 1740 and other African-American exploits in this period including the founding of Fort Mose II.
Spanish Florida had been a thriving colony in the early 1600’s but beginning around 1650, measles outbreaks, raids from the English, the French and from Pirates began weakening the mission-based economy of the region. This culminated with Queen Anne’s War which decimated Florida.
Absent the gold of other Spanish colonies in the Americas, Spain actively looked for those who would “serve” the crown in its military and economic needs in Florida. This included enticing slaves from English territories to flee to Florida and achieve freedom if they converted to Catholicism. This was made an official policy in 1693 by edict of King Carlos II.
This willingness to harbor runaway slaves would alter the relationship between Florida and its neighbors to the north for the next 90 years. In fact, African runaway slaves and Native Americans would prove exceedingly loyal to defending Spanish Florida from English invasions during the 1700’s.
In this first episode of a miniseries within our podcast, we discuss runaway slaves and the founding of Fort Mose. This podcast covers the period from the mid 1600's to the Stono Rebellion in South Carolina in 1739.
On this week's podcast, Robert Buccellato remembers his friend, the late Jim Williams who served in the State Senate, as Lt. Governor and as Deputy US Secretary of Agriculture under Jimmy Carter.
In 1539 Hernando De Soto landed on the west coast of Florida and made history as the first European to explore the future United States of America.
In Episode 106 we discuss Dempsey Barron, the most powerful Florida Senator in modern history.
We discuss Angola, a settlement of runaway slaves that existed between 1810 and 1821. The settlement was destroyed on the orders of Andrew Jackson.
We look back at arguably the most important Governor's race in Florida's History - the 1954 Governor's Race.
In 1781, The Spanish captured Pensacola, the capital of West Florida from the British. The events and diplomacy around the siege and capture of Pensacola led directly to George Washington's finest hour - his victory at Yorktown months later. In this episode we continue the narrative from Episode 99 and discuss how it directly led to American victory over the British.
In Episode 100 we reflect on our first 100 shows and discuss why we love Florida history and eventually why no one from Florida has ever been elected President or Vice President.
On this episode we discuss the American Revolution in British West Florida prior to the Siege and Battle of Pensacola. The British Colony of West Florida included areas that are part of the modern day US states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
American naval operations liberated the Lake Ponchatrain area while the Spanish successfully captured Baton Rouge, Natchez and Mobile from the British.
I-75's originally authorized route to Tampa was completed in 1964. However over the next few decades efforts would be made to extend I-75 and reroute it as well. We go through the complicated efforts and twists and turns in the road in this episode.
In this episode we answer listener questions on multiple topics including Henry Flagler and the allegations of a black shanty town being burnt down, The Governor's Mansion, the bipartisan fight to make Big Sugar pay for Everglades cleanup and a comparison of Colonial St Augustine to cities in the 13 British Colonies to the north.
In Episode 95 we discuss Thomas Edison and Hnery Ford's winter exploits in Florida and discuss the politics of the Gilded Age and the GM-Ford rivalry.
In this episode we take a look at Robert Buccellato's latest book which covers Presidents visiting Florida.
As immortalized in the 2020 Regina King film, One Night in Miami, much of Muhammad Ali's boxing career and political activism were made in the Sunshine State.
Florida played a big role in the Watergate Scandal. We discuss all the links on this edition of the podcast.
Less famous that the demonstrations and riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the protests during the 1968 RNC in Miami were an important event in one of the most critical years in American History.
Before taking office in 1933, President-Elect Franklin D. Roosevelt was fortunate to escape assassination while giving a speech at Bayfront Park in Miami. The Mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak who was with FDR was hit and died three weeks later.
In this episode we refresh a podcast we first released in March about the 1918 Pandemic, in light of the spike in cases of the current COVID-19 pandemic in Florida.
For a second straight week, Michael Grunwald from Politico Magazine and the author of The Swamp joins us to discuss politics and the Florida Everglades.
Michael Grunwald, author of award-winning book The Swamp and current Politico Magazine writer joins us to discuss the controversy over the building of the Big Cypress Jetport in the late 1960's. We discuss the political and ecological battles that took place in this period.
The route I-10 takes through the Tallahassee area today was not the original route that was sought. It wasn't even the second or third choice. We discuss that and also other fights about roads through wooded and rural areas of North Florida on this week's Florida History Podcast.
On this episode of The Florida History Podcast we discuss Spanish Mission in Florida during the 1600's, the collapse of the missions after the English Invasions during Queen Anne's War and how the collapse of the missions destroyed Florida's economy.
In this episode we discuss Fuller Warren, one of the most controversial and colorful characters in the state's political history.
On Episode 83 we discuss the Negro Fort (in modern Franklin County) which was a harbor for runaway slaves encouraged by British abolitionists and Spanish officials. Andrew Jackson and the pro-slavery United States destroyed the fort and killed 334 people in 1816, the single biggest resistance by African-Americans to white military power in North America prior to the Civil War.
In Episode 81 we discuss Charley Johns infamous Legislative Committee which investigated the NAACP, academics and civil rights groups. It also produced the infamous "purple pamphlet" meant to condemn Homosexuality in Florida.
On part 1 of our look at Donald Trump's Florida victory in a historical context, Kartik Krishnaiyer is joined by Dave Trotter of VotingTrend.com. Mr. Trotter had the most accurate modeling of Florida's elections in both 2018 and 2020. Among the topics discussed are the GOP's turning of traditional Democratic areas, Trump's success with Latino voters and the rebuilt Republican horseshoe, a key to the party's success in the state.
On the 50th Anniversary of the 1970 Election which saw the statewide elevation of Lawton Chiles and Reubin Askew as well as the defeat of prominent Republicans we look back at that crazy cycle in Florida.
On this week's Florida History Podcast we discuss the oldest community of continued settled Floridians of European descent- the Minorcans of St Augustine.
Three Florida forts played critical roles in the Civil War. We discuss them on this week's podcast.
Florida was one of the epicenters of the Centennial and Bicentennial year Presidential Elections.
Beginning with Harry Truman's Little White House through Mar-a-Lago and Donald Trump, Florida has since the 1940's been a frequent Presidential retreat.
From the 1970's to the 1990's, Florida with its governing principles and quality of life amenities became a hub for tech innovation. the IBM PC was created in Boca Raton by a Florida-born and raised engineer. Also many other high tech startups and established companies called Florida home at the time. We discuss this history on this week's podcast.
In the late 1980's Florida saw two major film studio plan and build studio-related amusement parks in Central Florida. We discuss it here.
In 1872, Florida in midst of Reconstruction was the site of great political intrigue as both the sitting Governor and sitting Lt. Governor claimed the office.
The 1935 Keys Hurricane is the strongest on record to ever hit the United States. It was a tragedy that saw hundreds of World War I veterans lose their lives. We discuss the Bonus Army protest, the eventual deployment of many of the veterans to Florida and the tragic events of September 1-2, 1935.
On the 15th Anniversary of Katrina we look back at the tragic storm's impacts on both south Florida and the Panhandle. .
We look back at the history of EPCOT Center and the involvement of the state in the building of the Disney park. We also discuss Florida's heady days of the 1980's when the state was at the cutting edge of the technology and aerospace industries.
The fight over the building and route of the Sunshine State Parkway (now Florida's Turnpike) were a major part of Florida politics from the late 1940's to the mid 1960's. In the end everyone wanted credit for helping to build the road that contributed to Florida's transformation from sleepy backwater to mega-state - but not everyone deserved credit. We discuss it on this podcast.
With Black Lives Matter protests and controversies about Confederate statues dominating non-COVID headlines in Summer 2020, we revisit the Reconstruction Era in Florida.
1920's Florida was a violent place racially. The state which recorded the most per capita lynchings in nation between 1901 to 1950 is especially infamous for one particularly gruesome event - the Rosewood Massacre. Neil Blackmon joins us to discuss the horrible events.
With 2020 raging we look back at Florida's political scene in a year 2020 has been compared to - 1968.
On this week's edition of The Florida History Podcast, we discuss Governor Leroy Collins historic work after leaving the Governorship. Collins played a critical and often under-discussed role in ensuring the Selma to Montgomery march went ahead and ran in 1968 for the US Senate - a race where his moderate racial views ran head on into racially-conservative late 1960's Florida.
In Episode 60 we look at how three very different governors handled race relations in the state.
We discuss the history of lynchings in Florida and the debate over racial reconciliation in the 1990's and 2000's related to lynchings and racial violence.
NOTE: we plan to have individual podcasts in the future on specific events like Rosewood, this is a general narrative.
In Episode 58 we discuss the Condo Commandos, a group of leaders that made and broke elections in Florida for decades.
In this special episode of The Florida History podcast, released early this week due to the civil disobedience and protesting going on nationally in the wake of George Floyd's murder, we look back at Florida's history with urban racial strife in the 1980's and 1990's. The 1980 Miami riots were the worst urban riots in the United States between the end of the Civil Rights era and the 1992 post-Rodney King verdict LA riots. In the second half of the podcast we review Martin Luther King's historic campaign in America's oldest European settlement, St Augustine and how it influenced Congress to pass the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.
On this week's edition of The Florida History Podcast, Brook Hines joins us to discuss the development of activism and community involvement around opposing expressway building in urban areas. A national movement that began outside Florida, expressway revolts broke out across the Tampa Bay area and south Florida in the 1970's and 1980's.
The War of 1812 has for whatever reason a certain obscurity in American History. Even more obscure is the so-called "Patriot Rebellion" and American invasion of Spanish Florida in 1812. A conflict peripherally connected to the larger war between the United States and Great Britain (including the British colonial possessions in Canada), American forces actually invaded Florida and raised the stars and stripes on Amelia Island. A conflict that flared on and off for several years, even included the declaration of a "Republic of East Florida," and the creation of legislative and judicial institutions.
The Great Jacksonville Fire of May 3, 1901 is the third worst urban fire in American history. The city was witness to another tragic fire in December 1963 as the Roosevelt Hotel was the scene of tragedy while it played host to several famous guests in the midst of the holiday season. We discuss both fires on this edition of The Florida History Podcast.
Brook Hines joins us to discuss the evolution of the Space Coast from the time of the first space launches from Cape Canaveral in the 1950's to today. We discuss the political, residential and social evolution of the area in addition to comparing the Space Coast to the Florida Panhandle and South California in terms of its voting patterns and military influence.
Ryan Ray joins us to discuss the epic 1950 US Senate Democratic Primary between liberal New Deal Senator Claude Pepper and moderate Cold Warrior Congressman George Smathers. Arguably the dirtiest US Senate campaign in 20th Century American History, the Smathers win ushered in the era of McCarthyism and red-baiting in campaigns across the country.
Today we look back at a great Mayor of Miami and statewide figure, Robert King High who passed all too young at the age of 43.
For our landmark 50th episode, in the midst of the crisis around COVID-19, we look back at major crises faced in the past by Florida Governors and how each individual coped with it. We take a look at the process of decision making and the influences on each Governor in the midst of crisis.
We will resume to our normal weekly releases, on Tuesday this coming week. Episode 51 will be released on April 21.
In Episode 49 we discuss the prohibition era in Florida in detail, particularly the rum running that took place using Florida's vast coastline.
In Episode 48 we discuss one of the most famous and important Floridians of the 20th Century - Dan McCarty.
Few events in Florida's history had as direct an impact on the policies of the Spanish colony as the 1670 founding of Charleston, South Carolina. In this episode of the Florida History Podcast we go through the events that immediately proceeded 1670 including English Pirate Robert Searle's raid on St Augustine.
As much of Florida continues to be locked down due to the Coronvirus pandemic we look back at a previous pandemic that killed thousands in our state.
In this episode Dave Trotter joins us to discuss the history of toll roads in Central Florida and how they helped fuel the explosive growth of the region.
Sir Frances Drake, a famous figure in English history raided St Augustine in May 1586. The Spanish settlement was destroyed as Drake attacked Florida in the midst of the Anglo-Spanish War. Two years later Drake would be among the English commanders in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Drake's raid had major impacts as the Spanish crown decided to consolidate it's Florida settlement at St Augustine, abandoning points north. It also led to a greater fortification of the town, which led into the 1600's, a time when St Augustine was one of the most prosperous settlements in what is now the United States.
In Episode 43 we look back at Florida's first populist Governor and his scheme to drain the Everglades.
Florida was ground zero for a major moment in which the Labor movement and Public Employees Unions were changed for ever.
George Smathers wasn't just an eyewitness to power. He was near the center of it. One of the few Americans in the twentieth century to have had a close personal relationship with three Presidents, Smathers came of age when he beat liberal incumbent Senator Claude Pepper in the 1950 Democratic Primary. Smathers, generally a conservative Democrat was very different than the progressive Pepper - Smathers was cozy with power and pragmatic with his voting record and ideology. He was an important figure both politically and personally in Washington and back home in Miami. We discuss his career in this week's podcast.
In Episode 40 we delve into the history of one of the most famous places in Florida - Miami Beach.
Beginning in 1972, Florida's Presidential Primary became a critical event in the Democratic Party's nominating process. Starting in 1976, it was an important date on the GOP's nomination calendar. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's Florida played a critical role. But as other states moved up their primaries, Florida was largely irrelevant in 2000 and 2004. Then in 2007 the legislature moved the 2008 primary up to late January, a move rejected by both national parties. Dropped back to a traditional March date, Florida surprisingly ended up playing a critical role in the GOP's nominating process in both 2012 and 2016.
Andrew Jackson is one of the most controversial and significant figures in American history. He is also one of the most significant and controversial figures in Florida history. The conqueror of Florida for the United States, Jackson hostility to Native Americans and runaway slaves drove his desire to overthrow the Spanish administration in the area. We discuss Jackson's flaws as well as his few redeeming qualities in this week's episode.
Few history books or common conversations about the American Revolution mention Florida. But our state saw battles fought on our soil and lots of side impacts from the war. We discuss them in this week's show.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was debated and passed while Martin Luther King Jr. brought great attention to the racial practices of Florida by leading a movement in St Augustine for integration during the Spring of 1964. We relive the St Augustine movement this week in honor of MLK Jr.'s birthday.
We look back at the Watergate scandal's Florida origins, Florida's role in the Clinton impeachment and talk about the current proceedings against Donald Trump and its Florida ties.
Everglades National Park is a unique global environmental gem. We discuss the history of the park in this episode.
White Christmas' are rare in Florida, but cold blasts around the Holidays have had an impact on the state
A short episode this week as we discuss the Ancient Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach, the oldest European-built structure in the United States.
Political scientist Dave Trotter an expert on historical trends in Florida politics joins us to talk about the evolution of ideology, partisan preferences and elections since the 1950's in the areas of Florida around Interstate 4.
Biscayne National Park is one of the most unique geographic features in the United States. But the areas that are now part of the national park were almost developed. The creation of the park was one of the great early victories for Florida's burgeoning environmental movement. In Episode 29, we discuss the fight to designate Biscayne a national park.
We discuss the selection of Tallahassee as the capital city of territorial Florida and the building and use of each capitol building.
Claude Pepper was one of the most prominent political figures ever from Florida. We look back at the legendary career of the fighting progressive Pepper, one of the most famous New Deal Democrats in the United States. A career that spanned six decades is discussed at length in this episode.
We discuss Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings work, her adulation and why we consider her "Florida's Steinbeck." We also converse about progressiveism and racism in that era of Florida life and politics.
In an era when Florida and the south was dominated by one party and African-Americans had been disenfranchised, Sidney J. Catts came to power. His Governorship was lamentable era for the state as he publicly advocated racism towards African-Americans while fueling paranoia about Catholics and the possibility of a Papal takeover of Florida.
In Episode 24 we discuss how the Communist Cuban Revolution transformed Florida politics. We discuss the exile communities impact on politics as well as the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis. We also discuss migration patterns that changed the way much of south Florida voted and touch upon the racial tensions of the 1980's and 1990's in southern Florida as it related to the migrations and politics of the time.
In 1763 the British took possession of St Augustine after almost 200 years of both Spanish interest and English/British raiding of the city. St Augustine played a role in the American Revolutionary War, something not often talked about today.
St Augustine is the oldest European settlement in the continental United States. We discuss the foundation of St Augustine, the collapse of the French settlement at Fort Caroline, the sacking of the city by Sir Francis Drake, the building of the Castillo de San Marcos, the creation of Fort Mose by freed/runaway Slaves from British North America and the defense of the city in the 1740 siege by the British invaders from Georgia. Next week we will discuss St Augustine under British rule and the role it played in the American Revolution.
In 1978, State Senator Bob Graham rides a campaign gimmick into the Governors office - then continues the workdays as he becomes on of the most popular and impactful public officials in Florida's history.
Few periods in American history evoke the passion and controversy of the Reconstruction era in the south. In this week's podcast we discuss Reconstruction era Florida politics and the ideology of the political parties at the time.
Florida has been a mecca for film since the early 1900's. We discuss Florida's rich movie history dating from the silent film era. We talk about the commitment the state had to the humanities and films both shot and set in Florida.
We discuss the Florida origins of Pan American World Airways the most famous name in aviation. Pan American is famous for the China Clipper, transpacific service and transatlantic flights from New York. But the airline also pioneered flying to Latin America and developed a base at Dinner Key in Coconut Grove as its first international hub even before the Marine Air Terminal in New York.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt took the first ever Presidential airplane flight in January 1943 to attend the Casablanca Conference following Operation Torch (the Allied invasion of North Africa). The flight was on Pan Am and departed Dinner Key en route to the conference. We discuss the flight and the history behind Presidential aviation in the episode also.
Ahead of Labor Day Weekend 2019 when Florida is preparing for Hurricane Dorian we look back at previous Labor Day storms that have impacted the state including the 1935 Keys storm and 2004's Hurricane Frances. We also speak in general about Florida hurricanes continuing a discussion from episode 10 which was focused on Hurricane Andrew.
We cover the three Seminole Wars fought between 1816 and 1858. We look at the promises made and broken by the United States to the Native Americans as well as the treachery of the US forces. We also talk about how these wars impacted the careers of future Presidents Andrew Jackson and Zachary Taylor.
We discuss the colorful prohibition era in Florida and the rugged individualism that made the state a haven for bootleggers, moonshiners and figures in organized crime.
In part 2 of our look at Henry Flagler, we discuss the extension of the railroad south of Palm Beach. The railroad's extension led to the development of Miami, now a world class city and one of the economic and cultural capitals of the Americas. But at the time the railroad was built Miami was small village at the mouth of the Miami River. Florida's leading city at the time, Key West sat 150 miles away and completely unconnected by road or railroad to Florida's mainland. Flagler would change that and eventually link Key West to the rest of Florida.
But unlike other towns Flagler built his railroad to and through, Key West was an established and vibrant city, the largest at the time in Florida and one of the richest in the United States. So Flagler connected Key West but did not "colonize" the way he did St Augustine, Palm Beach, Miami and so many other places where he in fact developed the core of the towns.
Standard Oil co-founder Henry Flagler builds a railroad to St Augustine and revives the oldest city in the America's north of the Rio Grande. Flagler's railroad is then extended south to Palm Beach where he builds Whitehall, one of his residences and the Breakers Hotel. Flagler's St Augustine compliments the remaining colonial buildings from the Spanish and British periods and gives St Augustine it's third prosperous era after the early Spanish days (1565-1704) and the English period when colonial Tory defections to Florida grew the city (1763-1783.
This is part one of a two part series on Henry Flagler.
Among the least ideological and most colorfully controversial characters in the history of Florida Politics, Claude Kirk the state's first post-reconstruction Governor is always someone fun to talk about.
We look back at the impact of Hurricane Andrew on the governance, politics, attitude and demographics of Florida. Governor Chiles recorded the lowest ever approval rating in the state's history immediately after the storm while President George H.W. Bush's botched reaction helped lead to an era of ultra-competitive Presidential elections in the state.
We also talk about the similarities between Andrew and Katrina and the impact on Florida's building codes, evacuation procedures and government in general.
We discuss Florida's role in the American space program to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon launch from Cape Canaveral and the July 20 moon landing in 1969. Apollo 11 like all other Apollo missions was launched from Kennedy Space Center.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of the space program to development of Central Florida, the exposure the launches gave Florida, and the politics around keeping the space program centered around the state at a time when NASA and the federal government were considered moving the Shuttle program.
We look back at the political career of Lawton Chiles beginning with his walk across the state in 1970. We look at the divisions within the Florida GOP in 1970 that allowed Chiles and Reubin Askew to be elected statewide that year as new south Democrats. We also look at Chiles Senate career and his campaigns for Governor in 1990 and 1994. We also discuss his dealing with a GOP-led legislature after the 1996 and his tragic death in 1998 just a month after Jeb Bush's election.
We dive into the history of one Florida's most important and independent historical cities- Key West. The city which was the most populated in the state in the late 1800's has played host to Presidents, writers and political leaders while maintaining its charm and independence.
A must listen for any political junkie in the state, we dissect the legendary Pork Chop Gang and the birth of modern Florida politics. We look discuss how the power of the rural North Florida legislators was eventually broken and the why Florida emerged as a shining progressive state in an otherwise conservative south.
We take a quick look back at Walt Disney's decision to build a huge theme park and community of the future in Central Florida.
Since 1876 Florida has been a decisive state in Presidential politics both in General Elections and in party primaries. We take a quick look back at some of the colorful history of presidential elections and primaries in our state.
Episode 3 focuses on the central role Florida played in the Civil War as a supplier not of only of men but of resources to the Confederacy. Despite being the lowest populated southern state on the eve of the war, Florida was critical to the Confederate War effort and the Union's plans to choke the confederacy.
In episode two we take a brief look at the historic divisions between south Florida and north Florida. The cracker identity v the "Cincinnati effect." We discuss the cultural identity of both regions and the inevitable clash both politically and socially that would come in time. The conflict between different regions of our diverse state will be an underlying theme of much of what is discussed on this show in the future. We talk about the rivalry between regions and how Florida historically has always had divisions between parts of the state.
In our initial podcast co-hosts Kartik Krishnaiyer and Robert Buccellato discuss the rich history and legacy of the State of Florida laying out topics of discussion for the show going forward.
Whether it is colonial St Augustine, Henry Flagler's railroad, Disney World setting up shop in the state, the growth of Eastern Airlines, The Civil War or any number of other topics in Florida history we will cover it on this weekly podcast.