THE TEN BEST QUESTIONS I HAVE EVER BEEN ASKED
BY STUDENTS ABOUT THE STORY OF FLORIDA …

I have had 27,000 college and high school students and once in a purple sunset a student asks a question that reveals what I call: MYTHS & FALSE IMAGES OF FLORIDA HISTORY

Did the Spanish start the first town in Florida?

No, the first operational town in Florida was FORT CAROLINE started by French Huguenots (Protestants) on the St. Johns River. The colony was destroyed by the Spanish under Pedro Menendez, the man who would found Saint Augustine, the oldest continuous town in the United States of America.

Did Ponce de Leon discover Florida?

Ponce de Leon verified that Florida was not an island, but a peninsular attached to the same mainland of North America as Mexico. He had reports of a huge island from Cuban fishermen so Ponce de Leon was not traveling in unknown waters nor was he looking for a Fountain of Youth, a popular myth of the times. After being ousted from Puerto Rico, the colony he started – Ponce wanted to regain his good name as a colonizer and explorer.

Why didn’t the Spanish develop Saint Augustine – all those years and little there.

All Spanish colonies were Royal colonies under the plans of the Spanish Government. Since Florida yielded no gold and only tropical products better developed in the islands, Spain subsidized La Florida as a military colony protecting the key northern entranceway to the Gulf of Mexico and the treasure fleets.

Why hasn’t Florida produced some Presidents and great political leaders?

It is ironic that Florida’s first “military” governor was Andrew Jackson who became President from Tennessee. Until the 1900’s Florida was the least populated state in the Old South and even after Florida grew into the most populated Southern state, Florida was viewed as “not a true Southern state” with an economy and history unlike the rest of the South. Florida politics was “Florida politics.”

Should your college FSU continue to exhibit some white dude on a horse as Osceola, throwing spears into the grass?

The Seminole tribe(s ) of Florida not only have a good relationship with FSU, they played a role in the football field ceremony, Osceola’s costume, and other symbolism. It should be noted that: (1) Osceola was never a Seminole chief (because) (2) he was NOT a Seminole (and) (3) his father was probably an English trader. Osceola was the great war organizer of the Second Seminole War – the longest and most costly military event in American history.

Why has Florida as the fourth most populated state been so “backward” and “slow” to become a state with better stats?

A lot of factors, but people seem to not realize Florida has no one great metropolitan area – people in Tampa Bay don’t care about Miami who don’t care about Orlando. It is over 700 miles drive from Key West to Pensacola – place that on a map to see how distance relates to Florida politics. We are a state with the highest retirement population and a huge Latin immigrant population in Southeast Florida.

I’m from Virginia – it seems Florida didn’t do much in the Civil War.

Florida was so far from the major battlefields that it had its own Civil War. The coastline was too large to protect, but fast-moving Florida cavalry kept the Union from destroying all the needed salt fields and cattle centers. Your Virginians should note that Tallahassee was the only Southern capital east of the Mississippi that never fell to the Union. Also, Florida’s units (too far from home to R&R) had some of the highest casualty rates in the Civil War.