Florida History   

Award-winning Florida tellers Robin Schulte and Jessica McCune share a mix of Florida folktales, literary adaptations and personal stories. Schulte brings elements of theatre to the story stage, while McCune delivers stories that heal and offer light for the journey. They both see stories as a seed art, the very first art from which all other arts flow. Their stories capture the real essence of Florida.

With a distinctive voice and twelve-string guitar technique, Bob Patterson takes you on a trip through the real Florida filled with folklore and humor. His stories tie you back to the land, to the plants and the animals, to Florida’s precious water, and its real people. His poignant music and stories evoke nostalgia for a way of life that is quickly fading. 

This course will offer a fun introduction to some of the fascinating history which can be found under our feet in central Florida.  We will survey some of the geological history of Florida, discover some amazing animals whose remains are still to be found and also take a look at some of the human cultures who have left objects behind for us to enjoy to this day. 

When Edison looked for a place to spend his winters in 1885, he chose Ft. Myers on the lower Southwest coast. His selection wasn't based on the weather or ease of access. It was based on practical reasons. Reasons tied directly to his research projects. His selection had a major impact on those projects and an impact on the future of the area. Learn how SWF became a magnet for famous industrialists, financiers, and other famous individuals. Edison's unique personality and mind are important to understand what sparked his genius.

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.

Jake (J.T.) Glisson is a natural-born storyteller. His love of Florida nature is apparent as you read through “The Creek” or peruse his screen play, “Sigsbee.” He grew-up in the backwoods of Florida. Glisson considered Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings his friend and confidante. In addition to being an author and screenwriter, Glisson is an accomplished artist, illustrating all the pictures in “The Creek.”’ Discover more about the wild and wonderful world of Cross Creek and North Central Florida by delving into the tales found in his works.

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 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.

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.

Like to learn about Florida's history? Do it yourself with this program to help you! This presentation provides a way for the attendees to learn about Florida's historic places- all 500 plus. The state is divided into five regions that a person or family can explore individually in three-day adventures. Contact information is provided along with some "don't miss" recommendations. The historic places are defined and information is provided so individuals can select those venues in which they have the most interest.

Florida is a state that is unique in its history.  Beginning with the many flags that have flown over it since the first European conquerors came long before Jamestown to the base of our exploration for our future in space.  The series will present many visuals to help you see the changes as a Floridian who can trace his roots in Florida to the early 1800s helps guide you as you learn about the Sunshine State.

How and why did Florida change so much in the 1920s?  What massive changes occurred after the 1^st World War? Why did the state of Florida enter the Great Depression before the rest of the country?  How did Florida combat the problems of the Great Depression?  Included are many photographs of the time period. 

How did Florida contribute to the 2^nd World War?  What changes occurred after the 2^nd World War? How will the 2^nd World War change Florida forever?  What conflicts will the state deal with as they change from an agricultural state to a Tourist Mecca in the 1950s and 1960s?  Included are many photographs of the time period.

From Ray Charles in the mid-1940s to KC and the Sunshine Band in the late '70s, Florida has a rich soul music heritage that's been overlooked. Did you know that the great soul duo Sam and Dave came out of Miami? John Capouya, University of Tampa professor and author of the book Florida Soul, will play classic R&B, show vintage photos, and share his research into this important musical history.

Ray Charles got his musical training in St. Augustine. The great soul duo Sam and Dave (Soul Man'') was formed in Miami, while James and Bobby Purify ("Im Your Puppet'') hailed from Pensacola. They're all parts of Florida's rich soul music history, which has often been overlooked. This R&B legacy--including Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, Jackie Moore and Linda Lyndell-extends to KC & the Sunshine Band in the late 1970s.

In his new book Florida Soul, John Capouya establishes this state as a soul capital. A University of Tampa professor, he will play classic R&B, show vintage photos, and share his research into this important cultural heritage.
 

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.

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.

Join us as we look at the small towns around in North Central Florida.  Explore the history, trivia, and places of interest of places you may want to visit. For this class, come learn about the St. Johns River and First Coast counties.

Join us as we look at the small towns around in North Central Florida.  Explore the history, trivia, and places of interest of places you may want to visit, just miles from home. The focus for this event will be on The Suwannee River and Big Bend counties.

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.

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.

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.

The only tribe that has never signed a so-called peace treaty with the United States, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has perhaps the most unique history of any tribe in North America. Their fight to hold on to their culture, land and freedom, even as other tribes fell to Euro-American violence, is part of a larger story of an amazing people. This talk tells only part of their story, but what a story it is.

How did Florida change during the Gilded Age? As industrialization came, how did Florida modernize as it entered the 1900s? What were the impacts of men such as Hamilton Disston, Henry Flagler, and Napoleon Broward in modernizing the state? How did Florida contribute to the war effort in the 1st World War? Included are many photographs of the time period.

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.