The Florida History Podcast

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.

We introduce our new season on the Second Seminole War

We conclude our season on Amusement Parks and Florida in discussing EPCOT Center in the late 1990's and all the changes that turned many enthusiasts off.

We discuss the disastrous tenure of Michael Ovitz at Disney and the subsequent cost-cutting and ride-closing at the Magic Kingdom.

We pay tribute to the greatest Floridian of recent memory, Governor and Senator Bob Graham who passed away this week at the age of 87

We begin describing how Disney's amusement park business changed in the 1990's. We cover the period until the appointment of Michael Ovitz.

We discuss the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990 and the seismic events it created for the landscape in Central Florida.

We discuss a few other Central Florida amusement parks this week.

We discuss one of the most beloved attractions at the Magic Kingdom, the Country Bear Jamboree.

Disney is a media company and Florida wants more film and television in the state - so the simple solution is for Disney to be incentivized to build a film studio as a "third gate" on its property. However things don't go to plan as Disney itself is in a rotten period as a company.

EPCOT Center was a grand vision of Walt Disney. But the eventual park was not only not true to Walt's vision but dramatically scaled-down and over-budget from what had been planned in the 1970's. We discuss the original plans, then the plan for 30 nations in the World Showcase and where it went wrong. We also focus on Florida at the time, and how EPCOT became a grand project for the vision...

This week we discuss the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 including the popularity of some of its original attractions like its a Small World, Carousel of Progress and Country Bear Jamboree but also discuss the environmental and traffic impact of the park which angered local residents.

Walt Disney's Florida Project is thrown into doubt with Walt's untimely December 1966 passing, but brother Roy Disney keep pushing toward a 1971 opening of the Magic Kingdom. But EPCOT will have to wait.