The Florida History Podcast

Memories of the recently departed Ralph Turlington

We look back at the career of former Speaker of the House and Commissioner of Education Ralph Turlington. 

In Episode 114 we talk about Great Depression era Florida governance. 

We conclude our series on the first Underground Railroad, Freedom in Florida with a look at the 1784 to 1821 time period when the Spanish again ruled East and West Florida. 

On Episode 112 of the Florida History Podcast, Kartik Krishnaiyer gives his own views on Critical Race Theory and the teaching of history in Florida schools. His view is nuanced but also very critical of Governor DeSantis and the myths of American History, but also critical of the narrative that eliminates Florida's importance and discounts the importance of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Catholicism...

In Part III of our series on runaway slaves finding freedom in Florida we cover the American Revolution and slaves from southern plantations escaping the newly-declared independent United States to the British Colony of East Florida. We also discuss the efforts of the British to arm slaves and strike terror into the hearts of patriot plantation owners by sending brigades of slaves and former slave...

This episode covers the period between 1739 and 1763. In 1740, Britain and Spain were once again at war.  For the British in London, knocking Spain out of the war was strategic in a larger global conflict. For the Anglo-American colonists in Georgia and the Carolina’s invading Florida was more about crushing black freedom and extending slavery.  Another clear motivation was the hostility...

Spanish Florida had been a thriving colony in the early 1600’s but beginning around 1650, measles outbreaks, raids from the English, the French and from Pirates began weakening the mission-based economy of the region. This culminated with Queen Anne’s War which decimated Florida. Absent the gold of other Spanish colonies in the Americas, Spain actively looked for those who would “serve” the crown...

On this week's podcast, Robert Buccellato remembers his friend, the late Jim Williams who served in the State Senate, as Lt. Governor and as Deputy US Secretary of Agriculture under Jimmy Carter. 

In 1539 Hernando De Soto landed on the west coast of Florida and made history as the first European to explore the future United States of America. 

In Episode 106 we discuss Dempsey Barron, the most powerful Florida Senator in modern history. 

We discuss Angola, a settlement of runaway slaves that existed between 1810 and 1821. The settlement was destroyed on the orders of Andrew Jackson.

This week we discuss Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale from the 1940's until the 1980's. 

We look back at arguably the most important Governor's race in Florida's History - the 1954 Governor's Race. 

We talk about the historic 1952 Governor's Election. 

In 1781, The Spanish captured Pensacola, the capital of West Florida from the British. The events and diplomacy around the siege and capture of Pensacola led directly to George Washington's finest hour - his victory at Yorktown months later. In this episode we continue the narrative from Episode 99 and discuss how it directly led to American victory over the British. 

In Episode 100 we reflect on our first 100 shows and discuss why we love Florida history and eventually why no one from Florida has ever been elected President or Vice President. 

On this episode we discuss the American Revolution in British West Florida prior to the Siege and Battle of Pensacola. The British Colony of West Florida included areas that are part of the modern day US states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.   American naval operations liberated the Lake Ponchatrain area while the Spanish successfully captured Baton Rouge, Natchez and Mo...

We answer more listener questions this week on Episode 98. 

I-75's originally authorized route to Tampa was completed in 1964. However over the next few decades efforts would be made to extend I-75 and reroute it as well. We go through the complicated efforts and twists and turns in the road in this episode. 

In this episode we answer listener questions on multiple topics including Henry Flagler and the allegations of a black shanty town being burnt down, The Governor's Mansion, the bipartisan fight to make Big Sugar pay for Everglades cleanup and a comparison of Colonial St Augustine to cities in the 13 British Colonies to the north. 

In Episode 95 we discuss Thomas Edison and Hnery Ford's winter exploits in Florida and discuss the politics of the Gilded Age and the GM-Ford rivalry. 

In this episode we take a look at Robert Buccellato's latest book which covers Presidents visiting Florida. 

As immortalized in the 2020 Regina King film, One Night in Miami, much of Muhammad Ali's boxing career and political activism were made in the Sunshine State.