March 3, 1845 – Florida Joins the Union as the 27th State

After the repression and defeat of native tribes in Alabama by General Andrew Jackson, thousands of Native warriors and their families took refuge in Spanish Florida. (Jacksonville, Florida, the largest city in area in the continental United States, was ironically named for him, a prominent promoter of Native American genocide.) Once in Florida, these tribes joined many others whose members had lived all across Florida for thousands of years. As reported by the website of the Seminole Tribe of Florida:

The Indians who constituted the nucleus of this Florida group thought of themselves as yat’siminoli or “free people,” because for centuries their ancestors had resisted the attempts of the Spaniards to conquer and convert them, as well as the attempts of the English to take their lands and use them as military pawns. Soon, white Americans would begin to call all of the Indians in Florida by that name: ‘Seminoles.’”

Alas, the whites kept coming, and after the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1819, the new settlers applied techniques on native Seminoles that included displacement and extermination to get access to their lands. During the period of the Seminole Wars (1818–1858), the Natives were first confined to a large reservation in the center of the Florida peninsula by the Treaty of Moultrie Creek (1823) and then evicted from the territory altogether according to the Treaty of Payne’s Landing (1832). By 1842, most Seminoles and Black Seminoles had been forced to move to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.

Today, there are two federally recognized tribes in Florida and a group of unaffiliated or traditional Indians. The Miccosukee Indians are descended from about 100 Mikasuki-speaking Creeks and are located mostly in the Everglades. The Seminoles of Florida call themselves the “Unconquered People” and currently have six reservations throughout Florida. According to estimated census figures from 2023, there are only 0.5% of people in Florida of “American Indian and Alaska Native” origin.

In modern times, most people only are familiar with Seminoles by virtue [sic] of the Florida State Seminoles football team.

Florida State’s pre-game ritual, a tribute to Chief Osceola on horseback, was developed in consultation with the Seminole Tribe. (Phelan M. Ebenhack, Associated Press)

Speaking of football, how about those Jacksonville Jaguars? You might be thinking the name of the team is pronounced “Jag-wahrs.” But Jacksonville natives call them the “Jag-wires.” [A Tik-Tok video on how people identify the team is here.]

Florida natives might also recognize that there is a Seminole woman on the state flag of Florida, who is spreading flowers (presumably of welcome) in the foreground. (The word for Florida came from the Spanish for “flowery land.” It was so named by Juan Ponce de León, in honor of Spain’s Easter celebration, “Pascua Florida” or “feast of the flowers.”)
According to the Miami Herald, the flag also is thought to be a racist symbol of the old Confederacy:

‘You can read into this what you want to believe, and each generation will weigh in differently,’ says Gary Mormino, an emeritus history professor at University of South Florida-St. Petersburg and author of several books on the state’s history.”

Florida State Flag

Florida is a peninsula: a piece of land surrounded on three sides by water but connected to a larger landmass. It is connected to the states of Georgia and Alabama and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is home to one of the largest wetlands in the world, the Florida Everglades.

Florida is known as “The Sunshine State” and indeed, St. Petersburg, Florida holds a Guinness World Record for the most consecutive days of sunshine.

Key Lime Pie is the official pie of Florida. The sweet, tart dessert originated in the Florida Keys and is made from the small “key” lime native to the islands.

Key Lime Pie

Florida is also known for Conch Fritters. Conch (pronounced as if it were spelled conk) is a shellfish or sea snail that lives inside a large spiral shell.

Recipes basically take you from this:

To this:

Cuban food is also ubiquitous in Florida, especially in Miami and Tampa, and includes “The Cubano,” slow-roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread and pressed – according to aficionados – to perfection.

The Cubano

My own favorite “Cuban food” is Cuban coffee, which to me seems like a decadent dessert (rather than a drink) loaded with caffeine. You can find a good recipe here.

Florida has the only Turtle Hospital in the U.S. The Turtle Hospital opened in 1986 to help rehab injured sea turtles and return them to their natural habitat, and conduct and assist with research about sea turtles.

The most common surgery performed at the hospital is the removal of debilitating viral tumors, called Fibropapilloma, that affect over 50% of the sea turtles in the Keys and around the world. According to the hospital’s website, this is currently the only known disease affecting wild animals on a global basis. The Turtle Hospital has successfully treated and released over 1500 Sea Turtles since its founding. You can read more about the Turtle Hospital here.

Finally, did you know that Florida is the only state with an embassy in D.C.? As its website explains:

Since 1973, the beautifully restored 1891 Victorian house has welcomed visiting Floridians, students, dignitaries, elected officials and those doing business in the nation’s capital. While enjoying a cold glass of Florida orange juice, explore the outstanding art collection and antique furnishings. Stop by the visitor’s gallery for information about attractions in the area. Learn about Florida’s congressional delegation. Experience some of the many programs and partnerships that support the Florida House mission of showcasing education, business, arts and culture, and of course, hospitality.”