Thoughts on Florida

Before I began research for this paper, I knew pretty much nothing about Florida's frontier past. For me, Florida has always been this place of cities, shopping malls, and Disney World. It was really interesting to be introduced to this whole other part of Florida that I was completely oblivious to. Because of its reputation as a residence of Mickey Mouse and number of retired people, no one really of Florida as a place with a past rivaling the Old West's. I never really considered Florida as a frontier, as I mostly picture America's frontier expanding only westward. That's one of the reasons it was interesting to learn about the lawless frontier that once existed here. Also, the Cracker culture in Florida was really interesting to learn about. These early settlers were so self-sufficient and tough, weathering all kinds of dangers and problems. It amazes me how much of this history is unknown to people. Many are at least a little familiar with the lawless legend that is the Old West. However, few are even aware of the dangerous frontier that was once here in Florida.