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The Native Indians of Florida
included the Apalachee, Calusa, Cherokee, Seminoles,
Timucuan and Tocobago. Origin of the name - Spanish
for the word 'flowery'. Juan Ponce de Leon landed on
the shores of Florida in April of 1513. It is
believed that he called the area "la Florida" in
honor of Spain's Easter time celebration "Pascua
florida" (feast of the flowers)
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1513 |
Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de
Leon claimed the region but unable to establish a
colony due to Indian attacks
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1539 |
Spanish Hernando de Soto
(1500-1542) landed in the Tampa Bayon May 30, 1539
with 10 ships carrying over 600 soldiers and priests
problems with Indians forced them to Mexico
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1564 |
French missionaries settle
Fort Caroline |
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1565 |
Spanish troops drive the
French out of Florida |
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1756 |
1756 - 1763 - The Seven Years
War (French and Indian War) due to disputes over
land is won by Great Britain. France gives England
all French territory east of the Mississippi River,
except New Orleans. The Spanish give up east and
west Florida to the English in return for Cuba.
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1775 |
1775 - 1783 - The American
Revolution creates the United States of America. The
Revolution was due to the British burden of taxes
and total power to legislate any laws governing the
American colonies
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1776 |
July 4, 1776 - United States
Declaration of Independence |
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1778 |
July 10, 1778 - France
declares war against Britain and makes an alliance
with the American revolutionary forces
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1783 |
September 3, 1783 - The Treaty
of Paris is signed by the victorious United States
and the defeated Great Britain
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1812 |
1812 - 1815 - The War of 1812
between U.S. and Great Britain, ended in a stalemate
but confirmed America's Independence
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1813 |
1813 - 1814: The Creek Indian
War - At the start of the 1500's the Creeks occupied
nearly all of southeast United States. Their defeat
at the battle in Lumpkin County near Slaughter Gap
forced them to travel farther and farther West
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1840 |
African American slaves made
up almost half of the population of the State |
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1845 |
Statehood - The Date that
Florida was admitted to the Union - March 3, 1845.
Constitution - Florida was the 27th State to be
admitted to the Union. State Motto - " In God We
Trust "
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1858 |
The Seminole Wars forced all
but a few Native Americans out of Florida |
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1861 |
1861 - 1865: The American
Civil War. In 1859 John Brown raided Harpers Ferry
and set in motion events that led directly to the
outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, a known
opponent of slavery, was elected president and in
1861 the South Secedes. The initial Secession of
South Carolina was followed by the secession of
Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North
Carolina. These eleven states eventually formed the
Confederate States of America. The bombardment of
Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the
American Civil War.
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1865 |
The surrender of Robert E. Lee
on April 9 1865 signalled the end of the Confederacy |
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1865 |
1865 December 6 - The
Abolishment of Slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution is ratified, thus officially
abolishing slavery
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1898 |
1898-1901 The Spanish American
War. On December 10, 1898 the Treaty of Paris the US
annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines.
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