The Florida History Podcast

The first Governor from South Florida died tragically in office- but changed the trajectory of Florida politics forever.

We discuss Florida's populist Governor Fuller Warren who was impeached multiple times by the legislature. NOTE: Portions of this podcast were recorded in 2019.

The 2004 Hurricane Season was one of the worst ever experienced by the state of Florida...and coincided with a Presidential campaign centered largely on Florida and an open US Senate seat. How did it impact the election?

A record breaking tropical system, one of the strongest in the history of the Atlantic basin has just ravaged Florida. Kartik Krishnaiyer, Ryan Ray and Johnathan Starling give their take on the impacts, the devastation in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas, the Tornado outbreak in south Florida as well as some comments on the NHC forecasting and TV meteorologists in the state and climate action.

Major Hurricane Milton is barreling toward the Sunshine State. A Cat 5 Hurricane with one of the lowest ever central pressures at the time of recording, we dive into some hurricane history in Florida and talk about the threats to the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas as well as the rest of the peninsula with longtime hurricane watcher Johnathan Starling.

Millard Caldwell had one of the most distinguished careers of any public official in the state's history.

What was supposed to the "big one" for Tallahassee ended up being a "bigger one" for the storm-ravaged Big Bend and unfortunately a potential Katrina-like event for the Tampa/St Peterburg Metropolitan area. Helene delivered statewide impacts from Miami to Apalachicola. In a state littered with historic Hurricanes, this one has made immediate and unfortunate history. We discuss this unfolding histo...

We discuss one of the giants of 20th Century Florida public life - Spessard Holland. Holland's career saw the transition of Florida from largely rural backwater to urban-driven megastate.

In this first edition of "Squeezing the Season" a special podcast we will run during Election season 2024, Democratic pollster and MSNBC contributor Fernand Amandi offers a frank look at why Florida's Hispanic vote has shifted heavily toward the GOP since 2016 as well as an in-depth look at Democrats success in North Carolina and what Florida Democrats can learn from that state.

Arguably the most embarrassing figure in Florida History, Sidney J. Catts is probably the worst Governor that Florida ever had. The violently anti-Catholic and racist Governor was also inept at the actual art of Governance.

Napoleon Bonaparte Broward is one of the most famous Floridians ever- he drained the Everglades threaded the needle between Populist and Bourbon Democrats while maintaining a Teddy Roosevelt like-persona. He also was close to being on the Democratic ticket as VP in 1908.

Florida has never had a President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader or Minority Leader or major party nominee for President or Vice President (excluding Donald Trump who wasn't exactly a Floridian). But when was Florida closest to real power? Fernand Amandi our guest argues it was during the Senate tenure of George Smathers.

We discuss Governor Oshian B. Hart, the first Florida native to be Governor of the state.

We discuss Florida's first popularly elected Governor

The 1976 Florida Primary won by Jimmy Carter was among the most important in Presidential history.

We discuss Florida's most influential territorial Governor.

We discuss the end of the Second Seminole War and the decision to allow the Seminole that were in Big Cypress and the Everglades to remain in Florida.

We discuss Abiaka/Sam Jones entire life as a great war chief and negotiator for the native people's of Florida.

Major William Lauderdale claimed a March 1838 victory over Sam Jones at the Battle of Pine Island Ridge in what is now Broward County. But did the battle actually take place as described? Jones and the Seminole certainly lived on and fought on in the Everglades over the course of the next several years.

We're joined by noted local historian Josh Liller to discuss what happened right after the Battle of Lake Okeechobee. Two battles effectively won by the remaining Seminole in Florida in January 1838 helped define the draw that was the Second Seminole War.

The 1837 Battle of Lake Okeechobee launched Zachary Taylor on his way to the White House. But did the US even really win the battle?

We discuss the Dade Battle, Wiley Thompson's murder by Chief Osceola and the Withlacoochee Cove

In Episode 262 we discuss the Second Seminole War producing a unique class of officers that served both the United States and Confederate States of America in the Civil War.

The Second Seminole War wasn't simply about removing the natives. It was about a lot more.

The 1832 Treaty of Paynes Landing was signed and designed to send the Seminoles to the Arkansas Territory and have runaway slaves returned to their owners. The Seminoles did not honor the treaty which they argue was misrepresented to them.