The Beginning

Our modern view of Florida differs immensely from the disorderly, and often times chaotic, land mass that it was prior to the 20^th century. Viewed today as an American hotspot and incredibly diverse tourist attraction, few know the malicious history behind Florida’s European takeover. In truth, the “sunshine State” has some of the darkest history - consisting of bloodshed and greed. Floridian history is strange, but consistently familiar in regards to the events that would come before and after Juan Ponce de Leon and company would attempt to settle there. From Ponce de Leon’s 16^th century landing to Andrew Jackson’s attacks, Florida holds far more historical content than it receives credit for. With this in mind, the question begs itself: what was Florida like before its beaches gained national popularity?

Before the names Panama City, Orlando, and Miami were well-known, many accepted that Florida was inhabited by indigenous peoples. A similar story to the famous Christopher Columbus crossing the Atlantic Ocean, Ponce de Leon would encounter indigenous peoples, or Native Americans upon landing. Seeming to follow the trend, Ponce de Leon resorted to violence and brute force to colonize the land and claim it for Spain. To him and Columbus alike, those that lived on such land were but mere stumbling blocks to future plans – plans that would benefit Europeans and disregard Native Americans.

These early concepts of Florida and its European “discovery” seem quite foreign to commonly known American history at first glance but, in reality, they tie into a larger picture. For example, General Andrew Jackson, prior to his presidency and infamous Trail of Tears, launched an all-out attack on the Floridian Seminoles. After years of combat, Florida would become an official U.S. territory

Though an unpleasant event, Jackson’s determination is strikingly similar to Columbus and Ponce de Leon.

Florida and its history are a fascinating glimpse of the acts that would come later in American and Atlantic history. The cliché of history repeating itself sits well in discussions of Florida and opens a larger discussion: why have Europeans, living in both the 16^th and 19^th century, been driven to the point of bloodshed in order to claim Native American soil as their own?