Things to do / Travel Guide
The original inhabitants of northeast Florida and the Panhandle were Native American tribes, speakers of the Timucua language. Many of the modern place-names of northern Florida commemorate the tribes that used to live in the region, such as Pensacola, Apalachee, and others. Remains of these Native American habitations can be found at Lake Jackson near Tallahassee, and include earth temple mounds, used for ritual purposes.
The beginning of the modern history of northeast Florida, and to a lesser extent the Panhandle, is marked by Spanish and French exploration of the New World. The Spanish built their first permanent settlement in 1565, founding it during the Easter season. They celebrated their “Pascua Florida,” or “Flowery Festival,” and thus called their new-found land “La Florida” in commemoration. This was St. Augustine, located today on Route 1, right on the coast, less than an hour's drive south of Jacksonville. St. Augustine is the oldest continuously-inhabited European-founded settlement in the United States.
Pensacola was another Spanish settlement in northern Florida, on the western Panhandle. It was taken over the French in 1719. Another settlement, St. Caroline, at the site of modern-day Jacksonville, was settled by the French in 1562. However, it was taken over by the Spanish in 1565 and subsequently destroyed. The Spanish settlements never drove far inland, and the Spanish never made an attempt to settle the land. Much more than the British farther north, the Spanish arrived in the New World primarily for commercial gain.
The British and French encroached upon the Spanish in northeast Florida and the Panhandle throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, until finally in 1763 Spain traded the land with the British for Havana. The Spanish settlers and Native Americans deserted the area for the most part, making way for an aggressive British settlement campaign.
During the American Revolutionary War, the Spanish took advantage of the confusion and unrest, and reconquered all of Florida. This time they learned the lesson from the British and encouraged settlement, with Brits from the north and Spaniards from across the ocean populating the land.
However, the new Spanish hegemony didn't last long: The land's new masters were not able to reign in Native American incursions into southern Georgia, so the U.S. increasingly found itself making military campaigns into Florida's land. This state of affairs, the First Seminole War, culminated in 1821, with the taking-effect of the Adams-Onís Treaty. Under this treaty, the U.S. took control of Florida in exchange for the renouncement of all claims upon Texas, which at that time was not yet a state. There would be two more Seminole Wars, the second one culminating in 1842, and the third in 1858 (although this was practically just a skirmish).
Jacksonville was founded in 1832, named after General (and future president) Andrew Jackson. The General was instrumental in Florida's capture from the Spanish, and in the persecution of the First Seminole War.
The Panhandle did not settle as quickly as northeastern Florida. Even after the Civil War it was not much settled, and, for a time, Florida considered ceding it to Alabama in return for $1 million. Alabama was no doubt flattered by this gesture, but decided not to, calling the land “a sand bank and gopher region.”
Aside from Pensacola, at which there has been a permanent settlement since the late 17th century, most of the Panhandle greeted its first European settlers only in the 19th century. Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, was not founded until 1823. Landowners from the southern states started coming to what would later become Panama City, on the Gulf Coast, in the 1830s. Destin was founded by Leonard Destin in 1840.
Florida became the 27th U.S. state in 1845, but it seceded 16 years later to help form the Confederacy. In the latter part of the 19th century things began to pick up for the region, with more people moving in and settling towns. The land boom in the 1920s increased the development of northern Florida, but the Depression hit the region hard. The economy did not start to pick up again until World War II, when many Navy and Air Force bases were created, especially in the northern areas. To this day, these bases continue to be a major source of employment for residents of the region.
Jacksonville was one of those cities to benefit and grow immensely on account of a strong Navy presence, and by the 1960s half the city's residence had some tie to Defense installations. One important landmark event for the history of Jacksonville came in 1968, when its government and that of Duvall County were consolidated into one large government. This decision made Jacksonville the largest city in the Continental U.S., a title it has enjoyed ever since.
Today, northeast Florida and the Panhandle are booming more than ever. People all over the South are realizing that northeast Florida is not just the “Gateway to Florida,” but a great destination in its own right. The Panhandle is not just a “gopher region,” but home to some of the most unique and beautiful beaches in the U.S., and great fishing, along with other enjoyable attractions and activities.
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