The Modern Beginnings of the State of Florida

Florida's history is a tapestry of rich and diverse events spanning hundreds of years. I’ll take you back to the 1500s for the modern formation of what we call Florida. According to the Florida Department of State website, the European exploration of the land that will become Florida began with Juan Ponce de León, who landed on the northeastern coast in April, 1513. De León, famous for his quest for the mythical "Fountain of Youth," named the region "La Florida" in honor of Spain's Easter celebration, the Feast of the Flowers. In 1539, Hernando de Soto led an expedition to Florida in search of gold and silver, spending five months in what would later become Tallahassee. 

The Spanish soldier Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founded St. Augustine in 1565, establishing it as the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States. As seen in the Louisiana Purchase 1803 and the Florida Purchase 1819 map, Florida's political landscape changed significantly over the centuries. In 1763, Spain ceded Florida to Britain in exchange for Havana, which had been captured by the British. By 1783, after the American Revolutionary War, Florida was returned to Spain. 

The Treaty of 1795 fixed the boundary of West Florida at the 31st Parallel, and the U.S. claimed West Florida as part of Louisiana after the Louisiana Purchase. The Treaty of 1819, also known as the Adams-Onís Treaty, led to the U.S. purchase of East Florida from Spain for $5 million, as stated on the Department of State of Florida website. The agreement also included Spain relinquishing claims to West Florida and the Oregon Country. Spain formally transferred Florida to the United States on July 17, 1821. General Andrew Jackson, who had visited Florida during the War of 1812 and the First Seminole War, was appointed as the U.S. Commissioner to take possession of the territory, serving briefly as its governor. 

The first non-military governor, William Pope Duval, was appointed on April 17, 1822. He oversaw the establishment of Florida's initial county system, starting with Escambia and St. Johns Counties as noted on mycounties.com In 1824, Tallahassee was selected as the capital of Florida due to its central location between the old capitals of East and West Florida. John Branch served as the final territorial governor from 1844 to 1845, preparing Florida for statehood. Florida was admitted to the Union as the 27th state on March 3, 1845. Thus began the modern history of the State of Florida.