Florida History   

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.

Historically, Florida served as a refuge for enslaved people escaping from other Southern states. Many were welcomed by Native American communities and, later, by the Spanish, making Florida a kind of "sanctuary" long before it became a slave state in 1845. Today, in places like Marion County, descendants of both enslaved people and slaveholders often share the same surnames. U.S. Census records document who the slaveholders were and how many people they enslaved.

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.