The Florida History Podcast

On New Years Eve 1896, a ship with a famous passenger, Stephen Crane and lots of armaments for Cuban revolutionaries left Jacksonville for Havana. It never made it. We tell the story in this podcast. 

We discuss the famous 1715 Treasure Fleet which washed up near modern day Vero Beach and the character of Henry Jennings a British privateer. turned pirate who was instrumental in the theft of some of the riches from the fleet. 

In a short episode this week, we discuss the 1883 Ocala Fire which destroyed two luxury hotels and six city blocks. Ocala was a frontier town at the time but was rebuilt and became a key Florida city in the aftermath. 

On Episode 185 we discuss the Koreshan Unity a religious movement that empowered women that set up a town on the banks of the Estero River in Lee County. The area is now part of the Koreshan State Historic Park. 

On this episode we discuss the building of the Overseas Railroad from Miami to Key West - an engineering marvel.

In this week's Florida History Podcast, we dive into Jeb Bush historic 1998 victory that ushered in an era of GOP dominance at the state level.

Bob Martinez is elected in a banner GOP year that began the state's drift toward the GOP.

A special treat this week on The Florida History Podcast as Voting Rights Attorney Nick Warren, from the ACLU Florida joins us to take us through the odyssey of voting rights in Jacksonville and Duval County since the 1967 consolidation charter up until today and the court decision regarding City Council and School Board districts. 

1970 was supposed to be a banner GOP year in Florida. But infighting turned Republican against Republican, and led to a banner Democratic year headlined by Reubin Askew's rout of sitting Governor Claude Kirk. 

In 1966 Governor Haydon Burns was denied renomination by the Democrats who opted for liberal Miami Mayor Robert King High instead of the conservative Burns. This led to a mass exodus of Democrats from their ancestral party in the fall election, where they backed Republican Claude Kirk. With his win, Kirk became the first GOP Governor in 90 years and ushered in an apparent realignment in Florida po...

2022 is a Governor's Election year.  For the rest of the month we will focus on past Governor's races that proved turning points in Florida's History.  We start with 1952. 

Using the career of former GOP Governor Charlie Crist , who is currently the Democrats nominee for Governor as a reference point, we go through the history of the GOP in Pinellas County, the home of the traditional moderate Republican in the Sunshine State.

With Ian approaching Florida we take a look back at September storms that impacted Florida previously from 1935 to present day.

In this episode we chronicle the 1774 journey of William Bartram through East Florida and exploration of the St Johns River. 

In this short episode, we discuss sites in Florida associated with the DeSoto trail. 

We discuss the Cross Florida Barge Canal project, long in the making that got cancelled in 1971. 

We discuss Florida's central role in the US' first modern military conflict: the Spanish-American War of 1898.

We discuss General and President Zachary Taylor's tremendous relationship and impact upon Florida.

We discuss the escape of runaway slaves to the Bahamas and Caribbean via Florida in the 1800's. 

Of the first 16 movies in the 007 franchise, Florida was involved in filming of  five of them, with Goldfinger and License to Kill being set partly in Florida. We discuss those films, plus why Casino Royale was not filmed in Florida despite much of the movie being set in Miami. 

We discuss the history of Disney's Reddy Creek Improvement District, signed into law in 1967 and rescinded in 2022 by the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis.  

We launch a new season of the podcast today. New topics and fresh looks/deeper dives at topics we've previously discussed.  In this podcast, 50 years on we take a fresh look at Watergate and Florida. 

The Civil Rights movements St Augustine campaign had one of its most important moments at this spot. 

Chief Osceola’s resting place is in South Carolina where he was moved after being taken prisoner. 

We discuss Fort King, an important(present) Marion County US fort which existed from 1827 to 1844.