American History   

William Bartram called it the Great Alachua Savanna. We know it as Paynes Prairie. On this chapter of our "Bartram's Florida" series, we'll take a 3 mile stroll onto the wetland savanna made famous by the young explorer in 1774.

The talk will include a brief overview of the prairie's rich history from Lars Andersen, author of "Paynes Prairie: A History and Guide."

-Note: Meeting time at park is 10 AM.
-There is a $5 Park Fee payable at the entrance day of trip.
-The trip duration is 1.5 - 2 hours long.
-The difficulty: Easy, two mile stroll on easy (mostly flat) terrain. Since this is an out-and-back hike, participants who can't do the entire hike are welcome to turn back at any time.
-The Skill level: Good for beginners.

William Bartram called it the Great Alachua Savanna. We know it as Paynes Prairie. On this chapter of our "Bartram's Florida" series, we'll take a 3 mile stroll onto the wetland savanna made famous by the young explorer in 1774.

The talk will include a brief overview of the prairie's rich history from Lars Andersen, author of "Paynes Prairie: A History and Guide."

-Note: Meeting time at park is 10 AM.
-There is a $5 Park Fee payable at the entrance day of trip.
-The trip duration is 1.5 - 2 hours long.
-The difficulty: Easy, two mile stroll on easy (mostly flat) terrain. Since this is an out-and-back hike, participants who can't do the entire hike are welcome to turn back at any time.
-The Skill level: Good for beginners.

In June of 2013, Edward Snowden, an employee of the National Security Agency, released to the media many thousands of documents that showed the extent that our government was spying on not only national security targets, but ordinary American citizens. Some claimed he committed treason and others called him a great patriot. We will investigate both sides of the issue and attempt to determine where the truth lies.

A frontier that was a constant scene of border raiders, slave chasers, militia reprisals, Indian raids and war, Florida was a land painted crimson by the blood and flames that raced over it for more than three centuries. It was one of history's most violent venues. Periods of peace were short to non-existent. This presentation covers the plight of Florida’s inhabitants during Spain’s first ownership, England's administration of a "vacant colony," and Spain's lack of ability and desire to maintain its two Florida colonies. Stability was non-existent. Florida's legacy is one of violence.

Learn the history of the Florida peninsula before it joined the United States of America following the Seminole Wars of the early nineteenth century. Native tribes, conquistadors, frontier alligator hunters, cattlemen and pirates all have had a long and intriguing impact on the history of the peninsula. This course is designed for those with no previous knowledge of the subject, as well as for history enthusiasts.

Florida remained a loyal British Colony during our Revolutionary War. Learn of the colorful characters involved in the conflict, the struggles of Tory refugees, and how Maryland and Pennsylvania Loyalists, German, British, French, Spanish, Native American, and African American soldiers ended up fighting and dying here.

Join DL Havlin as he covers this little appreciated period of Florida's history. No event changed and shaped the Sunshine State as much as WWII. Learn about the where, what, when and how Florida's "military invasion" occurred. The D-Day invasion force trained here as did the Doolittle raid. The story of how the least populated state east of the Mississippi, with a small economy and a bad "reputation" developed into today's modern prosperous state is fascinating. And, did a lot to help win the war.

Visit the 'Golden Age of Hollywood' and discover the back-story about the movie studios, the stars they created and the murders, mysteries and mayhem of the lives they lived.

This course will include more Hollywood secrets, scandals, suicides and murders. Topics include items like what happened to Errol Flynn? Who was Clark Gable?

Key West is a popular destination for residents and tourists, alike. Some are frequent visitors, others just a few times. This course will cover many aspects of this Florida city, including amusing historical anecdotes and surprises. Why did Spanish ships refuse to land on this tropical paradise for almost 200 years? How did a resident of Key West become Florida's first millionaire? Attend to find out how much you really know about the southernmost tip of Florida.

We will explore the history and tradition of this day- how it began and how it has evolved into a day that examines the accomplishment and sacrifices of each one of the men who held our nation's highest office.

This presentation covers the life and times of the “King of the Crackers” Jake Summerlin. He was the most influential man in the state for the period that bridged from its last Spanish colonial days until the twilight of the 20^th century. Summerlin pioneered and was the most prominent force in the cattle business which provided early Florida with the first plank in its economy. From fighting and negotiating with the Seminoles to settling family feuds to being a political “king maker,” Jake was a man of many talents. He donated the state’s first free public school, Orlando’s first Court House and established the first international telegraph service. Summerlin was Florida’s eighteen hundred’s giant.

Extremely timely, given the resurgence of the so-called "Great Replacement" theory of white Nationalism today. The 1790 Naturalization Act was biased in allowing any free white person to become a citizen of the new republic; all others need not apply. This presentation demonstrates the historical effort to keep America white. Despite this, the struggle also enjoined an America of diversity.  E Pluribus Unum can be interpreted two ways: homogeneity or heterogeneity. America has become a primer for other nations today who are struggling with issues of homogeneity and heterogeneity.  America has been a petri dish.

Extremely timely, given the resurgence of the so-called "Great Replacement" theory of white Nationalism today. The 1790 Naturalization Act was biased in allowing any free white person to become a citizen of the new republic; all others need not apply. This presentation demonstrates the historical effort to keep America white. Despite this, the struggle also enjoined an America of diversity.  E Pluribus Unum can be interpreted two ways: homogeneity or heterogeneity. America has become a primer for other nations today who are struggling with issues of homogeneity and heterogeneity.  America has been a petri dish.

This panhandle born girl rose from obscurity to be a giant in aviation and in business. Though not receiving the publicity that Amelia Earhart is accorded, she accomplished much, much more in a life filled with triumphs and heart break. At one point she held every woman's aviation record, was instrumental in forming the WAAC (Woman's Auxiliary Army Corps), the WASP (Woman's Airforce Service Pilots), was an acclaimed test pilot, was the first woman pilot to break the sound barrier, and was the driving force in forming the first woman's astronaut group.

When someone says, "The Revolutionary War" do you think of Florida? This presentation covers the intrigues, chaos, and violence that Florida became in this period. Not many people know what happened in Florida, Britain's 14^th Colony during the war. It was the only colony to stay loyal to the Crown and its people paid dearly for their choice. During the Revolutionary War and thirty-five years after, were periods of bloody violence in the state that made Dodge City and Tombstone look like Quaker Sunday school picnics. This is the story of why this occurred.

Why do so many horses in major races across the U.S. have a connection to our county? Learn how Marion County became the Horse Capital of the World® thanks to a little horse named Needles in 1956 and how he changed the trajectory of the Florida thoroughbred industry, making it one of the world's leading breeding, sales and racing centers.

Ulysses Grant and the Winning of the War. President Abraham Lincoln needed help. He had appointed a series of generals to command his armies and yet, as the War continued dreary year after dreary year, the War was not ending. To not win, meant to lose.

Then, in the Western theater of the War, a rumpled-looking major general of volunteers began winning battles. Lincoln liked what he saw. This rumpled general just might be the answer to winning the War. Civil War history buff, Jerry Colen will be here on June 20, to speak with us about the rise and success of Ulysses Grant and how he brought the Civil War to Union victory.

The Great Depression and World War II were two of the major catastrophes of the 20th Century. These sessions intend to examine the U.S. before and during the Great Depression and then as it approached and ultimately became involved in The War. While obviously connected, each session can be viewed and attended as a separate entity. 

Boom and Bust: The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression in the U.S.- A brief overview of these fascinating times. The glitz and glamour of the Jazz Age were followed by the unprecedented disaster of the Great Depression. This presentation will look at the events and currents of the 1920’s; foreign and domestic, the good, the bad and the ugly, and then do the same in the 30s. What a contrast between “Blue Skies, nothing but blue skies do I see” to “Brother can you spare a dime."

The Great Depression and World War II were two of the major catastrophies of the 20th Century. These sessions intend to examine the U.S. before and during the Great Depression and then as it approached and ultimately became involved in “The War.” While obviously connected, each session can be viewed and attended as a separate entity. 
The Great Depression and the Road to World War II- This presentation aims to take us through the catastrophic economic collapse of the Great Depression as it persisted through the 1930’s and influenced the world’s approach to World War II. The emphasis will be primarily on the U.S. but events in Europe and Asia will be referenced.

In 1932, America was in the midst of the greatest economic calamity in its history. Massive unemployment, businesses failing, banks closing which resulted in many losing all they had accumulated, and utter despair across the land. Into the dark times stepped a new president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Never in our history had things looked so bleak for so many. We will explore this new president, his vision for the recovery of our economy and how he went about putting this plan into effect.

Florida played an interesting role in the Civil War.  The instructor, dressed in a Marion County uniform, tells that story, not only about the armies, navies, and battles, but also of the civilian life.  The people not only dealt with shortages, but with the death and destruction the war bought to Florida's sparsely populated towns, from Fernandina to Key West.

This course reviews the details of Space Shuttle Columbia's final flight during re-entry. We'll discuss the mixed signals experienced at NASA during Columbia's launch, along with th debris collection procedures and steps NASA took before allowing the shuttle program to resume.

The CIA Museum, inside the CIA Headquarters building in Langley, Virginia is not open to the public. Don Wyman, a CIA retiree, recently was given both a special 2-hour private tour by the museum director and also, exclusive permission and support in creating this special PowerPoint "Private Tour" of the museum.

This unique tour includes many espionage artifacts never before made public, reveals some declassified, previously top-secret intelligence operations, and identifies some of the brave people who carried them out.

A completely different tour with totally different artifacts whose background stories are revealed and colorfully illustrated by a CIA Retiree who was in the Agency when most of these events were happening. This is Part 2 of an ongoing series that will contain, as they are declassified, new clandestine items and missions previously highly classified in full color and with unique illustrations created to show how they were carried out. It reveals two of the most expensive operations in CIA history!

A completely unique tour with totally different artifacts and background stories revealed and colorfully illustrated by Dr. Don Wyman, CIA Retiree who was in the Agency when most of these events were happening. This is Part 3 of an ongoing series that contains as they are declassified, new clandestine items and missions previously highly classified in full color and with unique illustrations created to show how they were carried out to combat smothering enemy surveillance.

The JFK assassination has been a nearly 60-year-old mystery of history. Did Oswald do it? Did he act alone? If not, who else was involved? What lead up to the murder and who were the possible people involved? Was it a single mastermind or the work of a cabal? Was it the first attempt on this President's life? Was it a foolproof operation, or were there mistakes and coverups that occurred? Were there any warnings or advanced indications about an assassination? If so, who knew and when? Come look and listen as many facts previously unknown or omitted in the Warren Report are revealed. 

Currently, in some places as Florida, the teaching of slavery in schools, is under attack. Adults more than children should know its history, but most had little in-depth exposure. The Founding Fathers sanctioned slavery, a root cause of why we lack "domestic tranquility" today. Slavery was not unique to America but it developed a pernicious form. Unfortunately, slavery today as human trafficking throughout the world is second to drug trafficking.

This presentation reveals the depth and types of skills needed by CIA personnel to use clandestine operations to collect intelligence in difficult, to near-impossible, situations in foreign countries, all this while under surveillance by anti-espionage professionals. It also reveals some of those secret (now unclassified) successes that were accomplished against all odds.

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, it sparked a movement that would transform the lives of millions of Americans. From a bus boycott in Montgomery, to a lunch counter in Greensboro, ordinary men and women courageously stood up to the institutionalized segregation of the Old South. We will look at protests, sit-ins, marches, and the Freedom rides to trace the remarkable journey that ordinary men and women undertook in the fight for Civil Rights.

It was the dawn of a new century and the center of African American intellectual and artistic culture was in Harlem. From the music of the Cotton Club and the legendary sounds of Duke Ellington to the literary prose of Langston Hughes, African Americans found both an audience and a voice. Men and women in all genres of art will contribute to this truly American movement.

The raid on March 10, 1865 was the only time the war came to Marion County. Misrepresented and inaccurately portrayed, this risky raid came only weeks before the war's end. Learn about the "experiment" in having Black soldiers and their difficult journey. Then, follow a unit of Black men who planned and led their own mission, traveling 100 miles behind enemy lines to prove their mettle as they are being chased by the local Confederate hero. A gripping journey awaits.

The American Revolution was an incredibly significant event in the evolution of the relationship of people to their government. This session’s goal is to provide an overview and basic understanding of that development. It will start with the background and causes and then move through the flow of the major events from 1763 through the Declaration of Independence. The focus will be on “why” and “how” these events are important.

The story of the Navy during the American Revolution and Civil War is often overlooked, yet it is a fascinating tale of Privateers, Ships-of-the-Line, Ironclads, Blockade Runners, and Submarines. This course covers them all, including anecdotes of the men who served on them.

Florida had been a refuge for enslaved persons escaping from slave states and were welcomed by the native population. Florida eventually entered the Union as a slave state. It became part of the "Cotton Kingdom" from 1845 until the Civil War.  Currently, descendants of slave holders and enslaved sharing the same surname are residents.

The "Lost Cause" and neo-Confederates advocates disparage Reconstruction as a failure. Yet, historians today call it "The Second American Revolution," as it made the idea of equality more than an aspirational notion, spelling out in law implications of equality in the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th amendments. In today's Congressional climate, they would probably never pass.  Reconstruction made equality more of a reality, bringing us closer to "A more perfect Union."

The poignant story of how, together two Americans faced and conquered red tape, engineering obstacles, corruption and personal trials to train and equip the US Marines for their greatest challenges.

The story of the LVT, an amphibious vehicle the Marines used to win the war in the Pacific. Two historical figures fight technical and bureaucratic party, and a magazine article can alter history and save 100,000 lives. 

FWA Royal Palm Literary Award winner – Runner-up Best Historical Novel.

Despite its importance, the Emancipation Proclamation is frequently misunderstood. The goal here is to explain why it was issued, when it was issued, what was its intent, what it did and did not accomplish.