Florida History   

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? Even if you have visited Key West, this presentation offers many surprises and amusing anecdotes.

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.

Florida historically was a refuge for enslaved people, escaping the slave states to be welcomed by native people here and eventually the Spanish. Florida entered the Union as a slave state, 1845, and the last state to be infamously designated. Currently, descendants of slaveholders and enslaved people often share the same surname of residents in Marion County.

Come hear about Florida's most notable women and hear how they made Florida spectacular. From women who lived on the edge of the wilderness to journalists who created great environmental and social change in the Sunshine State, Florida women have always been at the heart of what makes Florida great.

Through photos and enthralling anecdotes and stories, Master Storyteller Tim Totten brings to life the 20+ year journey to bring forth a college campus in the sunshine state that now boasts the largest single-site collection of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright's work anywhere in the world. Special attention is also paid to an ancillary project that arose from Wright's Florida visits, the Spring House.