Pensacola and its importance

My topic is on Pensacola, Florida and its importance during the colonial times. My primary source is "Kingdoms Face to Face: French Mobile and Spanish Pensacola, 1699 - 1719" by Robert Weddle. This source directly relates to my topic of Pensacola during the Spanish rule. This source is useful because it narrows down the date to 20 years and it talks about the importance of Pensacola during this time period, to the Spanish and other imperial powers like the British and the French.

Native Americans and their use of Florida's Environment

I'm using "The Historical Archaeology of Native Americans" by Patricia E. Rubertone as one of my primary sources not only because of it's accurate walkthrough of the history of native americans usage of land and how they used their environment, but also because it talks a lot about Florida. I picked it because it directly relates to my topic and has a lot of useful information pertaining to how the native americans used the land and environment they came across to their best advantage. It tells me how the native americans used the land to their best advantage and created a culture in a young Florida.

Ponce de Leon and his Indian encounters

Although much of the ora surrounding Ponce de Leon focuses on his search for the Fountain of Youth in Florida, I am focusing more on his relations with the native floridians and their reaction to the first European intruders. It was interesting to find out that Ponce de Leon was characteristically not as rough and aggressive toward the native people like so many future explorers would be known for. In Douglas Peck's Ponce de Leon and the discovery of Florida , he tells a story of an encounter with Natives off the east coast of Florida that is"an insight into the character of Ponce de Leon which shows that he was not one of the bloodthirsty "treat 'em rough" school like Cortes, De Soto, and others(Peck 51). This grabbed my attention very quickly and it was interesting to find that Ponce de Leon may have been more of a gentleman than a conquistador.

The Calusa Indians

I am doing my research paper on the Calusa Indians. They were a great tribe of South Florida. They were powerful sailors that lived along the coast. However in the 1700s they began to die out. The few remaining traveled to Cuba in the lat 1700s. One of my primary sources is The Calusa and Their Legacy. This is a book that describes the Calusa Indians as they lived in Florida. I picked it because it gives vivid pictures and details are artifacts that remain of the Calusa. It describes who they were and how they lived. This can be helpful for my paper because it will allow me to have a background on the tribe and understand their daily lives. It will also give some insight into how and why they died out. This book also includes visuals that will be helpful for my images I need to present my paper.

Environment as a gateway to success

Through the process of writing this paper, I have made progress in understanding the role the environment played in the formation of Florida as we know it today. One source that i have found has proven to be very useful in the aid of my understanding. A book entitled, "The Swamp" by Michael Grunwald. I chose this book because professor Chambliss recommended it to me. The book described the "politics of paradise" and how culture and life in Florida was shaped by its environment. The book is split into three sections - The natural everglades, Draining the Everglades, and Restoring the Everglades. My research is coming along, yet still as a way to go. 

Forida's role in the Civil War

Many of the bases for the Civil War were stationed in upper Florida. My research paper will focus primarily on Florida's role in the Civil War highlighting things such as Florida's position in the civil war, how they produced weaponry, and incorporating the thoughts and actions of some of the generals that served during this war. One of my primary sources are letters written by Augustus Henry Mathers who was a part of the Florida Regiment. He was an assistant surgeon so he heard many of the stories from people fighting in the war and was at the center of many of the battles. I chose these primary source because it gives a personal insight to things we would not be able to get from reading other stories about the civil war. It helps us understand how some of the people in Florida felt about the war and also helps tie in emotions and actual day to day activities that people engaged in while the war was going on. The letters that he wrote ranged from 1861 to 1862. They talked about him working in infirmary, the extent of the injuries, some of the conversations he had with the soldiers, and at times his personal input on the war and the status of the Union at that time.

fort st mark

One of my primary sources is an article describing the Siege of St. Augustine. The article talks of the battle that was led by the British general Oglethorpe. The battle that took place was between the English and the Spanish. The British were coming in from Charleston and were trying to capture the Spanish city of St. Augustine. St. Augustine was the main port the Spanish had in Florida and if the British over threw the fort and the city, essentially Florida would be theirs. If Florida became theirs they would control a very profitable port and the Spanish would be out of America. The British attacked Fort St. Mark but the fort could not be overtaken. The fort was built of coquina which absorbed cannon balls. After the failed mission, the British retreated. I chose this article because it is a primary source and it applied to my subject of the research paper. This source tells me that Fort St. Mark was crucial to the Spanish maintaining control of property in the new World.

I'm writing my paper on Chief Osceola's leadership in the Seminole Wars. More specifically his role in the treaty of Ft King. One of my primary resources is a legal document i found in the Florida Archives. It gives a brief description of the war and some events leading up to the war. It is not as detailed as I'd like because i am having trouble finding good primary resources, but I'm optimistic in my search

The Creek War of 1813 and 1814

My topic for my paper looks at the conflics of the early Florida settlers and the native americans inhabiting that area. I will focus primarily of the First Seminole War, and even more specifically the Creek War of 1813 and 1814. The article i have choosen to blog about is Ross Hassig's article Internal Conflict in the Creek War of 1813 and 1814 published in the journal Ethnohistory. Although this article focuses primarily on the problems faced by the non native groups, the article has a great deal of information on the Creek War itself. This information will be extremely used ful in constructiong the background information of the war itself. It will also provide some interesting insight on the internal disputes of the invading colonists, which will provide my paper with a uniguw perspective that goes beyond the native-colonist fights.

The Cracker Cowboys

I'm writing my paper on the Florida Cracker cowboys, and one of my primary sources is the article "Cracker Cowboys of Florida," written in 1895 by Frederic Remington, a famous writer, painter, and sculptor of the "Old American West." In his article, Remington, who is familiar with the "bilious fierceness and rearing plunge" of the more famous western cowboys, is introduced to Florida's own brand of cowboy-the Cracker cowboy. As opposed to the romanticized view of the tough, western cowboy, Remington describes the much less idealized version he encountered in the lawless "wilderness" of Florida. Law, justice and morality "cease to operate" in the backcountry of Florida, as the "cow-people" fight each other for "half-starved and horribly emaciated" cows, on land not exactly ideal for raising cattle. Cattle rustling is common, the bosses too afraid to step out of their houses at night to assert any semblance of order or control, and any attempt at law is met with a large group of silent, rifles-carrying men in the courtroom, therefore making "any decision...bound to be a compromise." It is obvious that Remington prefers his western cowboys of legend, describing the Cracker Cowboys as brutal, desperate, and yet "picturesque in their unkempt, almost unearthly wildness."

The Problem of Racism in Florida

I'm doing my research paper on racism in Florida. One of my primary sources is Marjory Stoneman Douglas' book The Everglades: River of Glass. From the earliest times, Native Americans faced discrimination. From the 1490's to the 1700's, Native Americans had been misunderstood as savages. They were subject to being forced into "slavery, torture,hard work, homesickness and disease, thousands after thousands of men,women, chiefs, children priests, fishermen, warriors, had been blotted
out" (Douglas 92). During the 1492, Columbus discovered Florida and claimed it for Spain. Little did the Spanish know how difficult living there would be. The Spanish assumed that Florida would be lush and beautiful. Douglas explains how the beauty of Florida was demonized as Ferdinand and Isabella's men grew disgusted with their indigenous neighbors. The Native Americans received little respect partly because the iron fist of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella's radical form of Catholicism did not tolerate anything considered "un-Catholic" or polytheist. There was many reasons pertaining to the problem of religious differences during the late 1490s and early 1500s. One of which, was the indoctrination and propaganda that Ferdinand and Isabella's Spain was considered to be superior in education, culture, beauty and civility. I chose this source primarily because it gave me direct knowledge on why the Native Americans were mistreated and for my understanding of how a difficult life the Natives had under domination by extremism. The source tells me that the Native Americans of Florida were not given a chance to show their humanity under Ferdinand's rule. Rather, they were treated below the quality of dogs because of their appearance, matrilineal views, polytheism, and open society. Douglas also points out how warped the "civilized" the followers of Ferdinand viewed Catholicism during the mid 1500s because of their efforts to convert, humanize, and change ancient, harmonious Florida tribes such as the Timucuan tribes. As a lack of cultural understanding increased, so did the problem of slavery and authoritarianism. Native Americans were degraded as inhuman and were given the worst kind of cruelty at the time. The Native Americans "died too readily, unable to bear the unremitting toil, the lash,
the starvation, the overcrowding, the disease, but most of all
slavery" (Douglas 91). Douglas shows that racism was not just caused by disgust, disrespect or fear during the time the Spanish ruled. The reason was because of a radical doctrine related to superiority the King of Spain enforced from the 16th Century to the 18th Century which gave rise to tyranny and slavery, rather than peace and negotiation.

A Statement on the Sun Dance

The topic of my research paper is the effect that Catholicism had on shaping Spanish attitudes towards the Natives in Florida. One of my primary sources is a formal statement from Indian Chief Dick Washakie to explain that the dance rituals of Native Americans, which some of you may recall being referenced in Murphee's "Constructing Floridians," were not the heathen rituals that so many Europeans believed them to be. Washakie explains the nature of the dance, which is a three-to-four day ritual occurring about every June or July in which participants fast for its duration and dance in prayer in an outdoor structure made out of 12 specially selected trees, and he offers interpretations on the ritual mainly to show the similarities with traditional Christian worship. He repeatedly refers to "God, our Father" throughout the text, and explains in closing that he does this because the word "God" is a European invention, and that the Indians do not use it. His explanations of the twelve trees (and eagle feathers mounted atop them) surrounding the sun dance hall as symbolic of the twelve apostles, and his emphasis on the monotheistic nature of their worship is his used to back up his stated argument that the Indians and Europeans, in fact, worship the same god, but merely in different ways. I chose this particular piece because I found it to be a detailed and lucid example of Indian reactions towards the religion-based European view of them. Washakie's indignation is apparent in the first sentence, when he states "our white brothers...have failed to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the sacred and religious beliefs of our so-called sun dance." His entire argument is to simply show that Indian and European religions are two sides of the same coin, both monotheistic and organized in praise of the same deity, and his points sound solid. For the purposes of my research, it does wonders to have these accounts of European attitudes to place against both contemporary Spanish accounts, and modern critical ones.

Spanish Supremacy in Florida

In debating which of the three dominant imperial powers was most successful at adjusting to Florida in the 16th-18th centuries, Spain seems to emerge as the dominant force and most successful. Although there is no clear cut champion of Florida, all three seeing some success and interest in the region, Spain would appear to be the most successful due to the long history with the region and heavy influence still left on the land and culture. It could be argued that the British colonists were more successful in a shorter amount of time, it is slightly unfair due to the fact that they had the knowledge of Spanish experience to rely on. The Spanish relations with the indigenous peoples of Florida was key to their success. It was not the most healthy and equal relationship between two foreign peoples, but the Spanish people eventually used the knowledge and labor of the native people to create a successful presence in Florida. The Spanish, like many other Europeans, had an idealized vision of the Florida environment as a "Garden of Eden". This did create many setbacks, but the Spanish successfully overcame the obstacle and survived in the harsh environment. The strength of the Spanish empire allowed it to expand and explore the areas of Florida and eventually the lack of imperial strength lead to Spain's loss of the Florida region.

Spanish, French, or English?

First and foremost, it is important to state the obvious fact that the Spanish empire held a circumstantial hold on the florida territory for some time. That being said, it is not necessarily true that the Spanish empire was the most successful in adjusting to florida, perhaps just more invested in it. All three empires did in fact send settlers to Florida, however the English controlled the New England territory, and the French territory further north. The spanish however, did not control much territory  on the atlantic coast. (with exceptions in mexico and south america) Therefore, the Spanish may have been able to dominate the Florida territory as time went on simply because they invested more into it. 

Most Successful Empire in Florida's Environment

Florida contained many harsh environments. They were difficult to cope with and even more dangerous to settle in. The English, French, and Spanish all had they're share of success. The British became the empire that won the state in the end. Although they may of ended with the land, I believe it was more due to timing and the military, not adjusting to the environment. The French took the approach of trading and becoming friends with the natives. This may have been a good approach, but the French didn't have the people or power to conquer Florida. I believe the Spanish were the most successful at adjusting to it. Although they had their share of problems with the natives, they in time became successful by not becoming friends with the natives, but rather going to war with them. This approach may not seem to be adjusting to the environment as you and I would perceive it but to them at that era, they were coping with Florida the only way they knew how. Florida today still remains largely a Spanish community. This is no coincidence, Spain was well equipped and had the man power to overcome the obstacles in Florida and succeed.

Spaniard Success

It’s safe to say that the English, French, and Spaniards all had some level of success in Florida. All three empires found it extremely difficult to cope with Florida’s environment and the Natives. Out of the three empires, Spain was the first to make it to Florida. When the Spanish landed in Florida, they realized the potential that this new land posed to them. Missionaries were sent from Spain to Florida so that they could convert the Native Americans to Christianity, in order to control all of the area and to prevent any attempt of colonization by any other country. The Spaniards did not treat slavery the same as the English and French, because of this, they were fortunate enough to build ties and a fighting force with those Natives who were fleeing from white encroachment. Another piece of evidence that shows the Spaniards success is the fact that the name that they gave this peninsula is still in use.

English Empire

By far, the English were the European power that had the most succesful adaptation to Florida and its inhabitants partly because they were the last group of people to come to Florida. They learned from the mistakes that the French and Spanish made and they were great in areas where the Spanish and the French were only mediocre. The English took advantage of the fact that there were already inhabitants, the Native Americans, who knew the land. They made alliances with the Indians instead of killing them off or making brutal attempts at converting them. Through these alliances they were able to haa a very lucrative trade emerege and were able to profit from the Indians.They were also more succesful because they were able to look past many of the differences between themselves and the Natives although they did make attempts at racialization. The greatest advantage that the English has was the fact that they knew what to expect because of previous exploration of the land. The Spanish and the French went to Florida with a distorted perspective only to find that things were way different than what they expected. The English were able to benefit from this because they knew already what to look forward to, what the land was like, and what the people were like. Also, the English had better human and material resources for settling in Florida as a result of previous knowledge. By recognizing these factors it is safe to say that the English were the empire that adjusted to Florida the best and were the most successful because of it.

Spanish

Saying the empire most successful at adjusting to the Florida environment isn’t exactly the way I would explain what occurred. I would say the empire that made the Florida environment adjust to them were the Spaniards. The Spaniards came to Florida and once they realized things were not as they were made out to be they got down to business. They were in for the long haul which meant they needed a plan to cope with the “pesky” aggressive Indians. They decided to send missionaries to force upon the Indians their culture. If the Indians did not comply, they would kill them so either they died or went along with the Spanish. This established who held the power and the Indians realized that their options were limited to compliance once the missionaries showed up. The Spanish made the environment adjust to them which allowed them to control Florida. I am not saying that this was the best way to take charge but they adjusted the best by dominating their surroundings. The French and English were not as forceful and therefore not as much of a presence. The English were more democratic in their ways of coping with natives which didn’t get them as far as the Spanish. The French did not agree with how the Indians behaved but they still used Florida as a pit stop on their trade from the Caribbean up through the Mississippi. The French did the best at using the state as form to keep money flowing. Although they utilized the state they did not directly impact it nor make the environment adjust. The Spanish also were not involved in internal and external conflict across the sea. The English were trying to hold their country together and the French were trying to defend themselves from other zealous countries. The Spanish took charge and that is why they made the biggest impact on Florida.

Spanish Success In Forida

Even though there were three empires - English, French and Spanish - that arrived in Florida, I believe that the Spanish Empire was the most successful of the three. It is true that all three empires struggled with the conditions of the environment and the natives but it was the Spaniards that arrived at the peninsula first. They were the first ones to interact with the natives and the first ones to share Christianity in the region. The English and the French established trades with certain native tribes but like the Spanish they also ended up killing some of those tribes because of their racialization views and beliefs. The Spaniards was able to organize missionary projects in Florida in order to convert the natives into Catholicism. The Spaniards was also able to establish a settlement in the new land. The French and English was just visitors at Florida, they just came and left but the Spaniards was the ones who stayed and built on what they started.

The Spanish Empire: The most Successful in Adjusting to Florida

Although the French and English empires were both successful in adjusting to Florida, The Spaniards were the strongest. They arrived there first and were the most efficient in using the land and natives there to their advantage. The Spanish were the first to come to Florida and establish some semblance of organization. They were the first to really get things started, and the first to have contact with the natives. The Spaniards started bringing their religion to Florida and tried to get the natives involved/to convert and were semi-successful. They put in the first efforts to somewhat civilize the natives and bring their culture over. The Spaniards essentially were the ones to start off Florida, and the other empires such as the English and French just built off of what the Spaniards started. There would be no way of knowing how Florida would have turned out if the Spanish weren't the first to come to Florida, but their efforts to work with the natives and the land certainly were a leading factor in how Florida started and turned out, and were the dominating empire in Florida.

English Success in the Floridas

Choosing the most successful of the three empires (French, Spanish, and English) that notably struggled for control of early Florida is similar to picking the lesser of three evils. Common to all of them were attitudes with degrees of superiority to the Natives, all manifesting into violence on a number of occasions. Each also shared marked difficulties with the environment, making true settlement incredibly difficult. However, the most adept in this regard was most certainly the English, who took a verydifferent approach than their predecessors. At the time that England acquired the Floridas in 1763 as a part of the Treaty of Paris, they were undoubtedly the dominant European Empire in North America. Their superior navy, expansive trade, and populous and profitable colonies were only elevated even higher following the Seven Years' War, which devastated the already waning influence had by the Spanish and French Empires, respectively. There was a significant amount more that was known about the Floridas than when others attempted to settle it. While there remained these depictions and ideas of the tropical paradise of Florida, there was a degree more realism. There were no longer vast efforts to discover gold and silver deposits, and there was more understanding of the difficulties of the environment, such as the heat and insects. Even more important, the English approached the Natives from the beginning as an alternative to the harshness of their past European encounters. They put forth a spirit of cooperation and conciliation, and indeed, this attitude proved to serve well early on, with the English enjoying a peaceful and profitable relationship with their neighbors, and the many Natives of the petite nations who had been decimated in the past enjoying a brief flourish. It is necessary to note that this did change, as English attitudes regarding the "barbarity" of the Natives and efforts to "civilize" them all went the same way as the Spanish and French, with the eventual dehumanization and subsequent violent response towards these peoples. Also, the English, with their good starting relations with the Indians and their greater understanding of the natural environment's potential in Florida led them to be more successful than past empires, but it remains that the region was never significantly profitable or well-settled (only 10,000 Britons at the time of Spanish repossession), so little so, that it was regarded as a negligible loss following the end of the American Revolution.

Spanish Success in Florida

Though England, France and Spain all had their own stake in Florida, I believe the most successful empire was the Spanish. Though they all had their own problems with the environment and the indigenous people—each empire had high aspirations for Florida and as their dreams began to dissolve, so did their views of the Indians—the Spanish were able to build up an impressive mission system and, though their increased racialization of Indians resulted in some skirmishes with the native people, their conflicts were not like the French. The failures of the French, and the racialization towards the Indians, led to massive military campaigns against people like the Natchez, as well as devastating many smaller tribes nearby. Though the English fostered trade and contact with the Indian people, they arrived later and, like the Spanish and French before them, racialized the Indians for their own benefit. Though they worked closely with the Indians and attempted to “civilize” them, when this is unsuccessful, the only other choice they try to pacify them. When this doesn’t work their only choice is to annihilate them. This cycle of peace and conflict continues with the British. The Spanish, as the first in Florida, maintain a presence there for centuries, conducted vast missionary projects and established one of Florida’s oldest settlements.

European Empires in Florida

In the 17th Century, England, Spain and France were the main powers in European Florida. Even though England had established a more democratic and mixed constitution by the late 17th Century, it failed to improve its relations with the natives of Florida. Because of the rift between the Catholic Church and the Protestant church, England began to suffer from rebellions from within their countries’ political parties as well. The Whigs began to rebel from the Tories, causing animosity within the government and the King James II. Creating a greater problem was the lack of trust the Native Americans had for the British government. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 demoted England’s military strength. Natives were treated poorly and in result, England had trouble adjusting to Florida. The English were poorly suited for the hot and humid climate of Florida, were autocratic, uncreative and outdated in their military strategies. England’s poor attempts to educate and civilize natives only created greater problems. Anglicization ultimately failed because the natives were being forced into conversion, which they retaliated by rebellions. Even though England was a stronger military power than any Native tribe and France, its lack of respect and racism towards the natives did not earn England a chance to adjust to the environmental factors of Florida. An example of this racism is shown by Bernard Romans in the 1770s who claims that the natives are a “treacherous, cruel, deceitful, faithless and thieving race” (Murphree 106). This view is reciprocated among many English settlers who cannot adjust to Florida because they view the natives and environment as rough, uncivil, and wild, instead of trying to understand it.
France was far more successful than its European counterpart in terms of diplomacy and adjustment to Florida. Not only did France respect the Native American tribes, but created a strong diplomatic bond. Other French opinions were mixed. Natives were disregarded in 1706 as “savage by some, such as Penicaut, while others such as Charles Levasseur viewed them as strong and merry” (Murphree 78) Trade of fur and diplomacy guaranteed tolerance and acceptance of Florida’s rough environment and indigenous people. The French were wise enough not to impose too much force upon the neighboring tribes. Even though different, French-Indian relations remained intact through mutual agreement on trade, food, military support and cultural respect. Because of this great amount of tolerance, despite slavery, France remained a powerful ally to the native tribes. Not only did this relationship affect both sides mutually, but affected the way in which Florida was viewed upon. Florida became to be respected by France, thus, creating a willingness to adjust to the contrasting culture between the two sides.

Spanish colonies in Florida

The Spanish were the first explorers to reach the New World. Ponce De Leon was the first explorer to claim the region in 1513. He was followed by numerous other Spanish explorers like De Soto. They explored the region and reported it as a mystical beauty. They made relations with the natives and had a chance for a cultural exchange. However with such different cultures a friendly exchange of beliefs is unlikely. The Spanish seeing themselves as superior expected the Indians to convert to their religion and become less barbaric and more civilized. The Spanish built numerous missionaries across the new world in order to convert more natives. Some natives converted, however most stayed true to their own beliefs. Although the Spanish had a long lasting conflict with the natives, they also established the city of St Augustine. This city experienced all the hardships of all new colonies famine, war, and disease but it survived. The Spanish I feel were the most successful because they had the first stable colony in the New World, were also the first to explore the terrain, and made first contact with the natives.

How race defind Florida

Constructing Floridians by Danial Murphee shows the first issue with race in the new world. In the early 1500's when European explorers first encountered Indians from the Americas, the differences between both groups were immediately a factor. The Europeans viewed themselves as a higher more civilized race of human beings. When the Europeans first landed in the new world they described it as a mythical paradise plentiful with flowers, springs, and soil. The more they explored the territory they discovered the natives of the land. These People were not like them, they were darker of skin color, worshiped pagan Gods, dressed in animal skins that only covered their private parts, had lax sex practices, and spoke a different language. The Europeans viewed the differences between them as the Indians inferiorority to them. While more Europeans came to colonize the area they tried to convert these barbaric savages into good Christian Europeans. When that failed, violence broke out on both sides. This violence scared the colonial Floridains and in turn they distanced themselves from these barbaric Indians because of their appearances, beliefs, and savage nature. This racilization defined the relationship between Indians and Europeans until the 20th century.

How Has Race Defined Florida?

From the moment European explorers first set foot in Florida in 1513, race defined the European-Indian interactions, consequently impacting early development of Florida and its peoples. In Constructing Floridians, Daniel S. Murphree explains, “radicalization stemmed from European desire to come to conclusions and make decisions out of self-interest, out of devotion to some abstract principle and their perceptions of the larger interests of the group of which they claimed membership.” (pg. 6) These perceptions, though mostly internal, allowed Florida explorers to make sense of the people and environment around them. These judgments, in essence, were a means to protect themselves from abstract, unfamiliar ideas. These perceptions also provided a sense of identity to the colonists in context of the whole world, giving colonists knowledge and insight about their culture in relation to that of other people in the globe. Radicalization, the process by which people are and were categorized on the basis of race, impacted the creation of laws, policies, determination of strategies, and pursuit of war. It also influenced colonial conceptualizations and endeavors, whether they were good or bad.
The Spanish, French, and British all judged the Native Americans based on their appearance. They described these fellow human beings as uncivilized, barbaric animals. Between cannibalism, hostile nature, lack of clothing, large bodies, and lax sexual practices, the Native Americans were second class to Europeans in the eyes of the explorers. In fact, racism emerged from the frustrations of the European settlers. European explorers, as made evident by their language in primary journals, utilized characterizations of natives as an outlet for their anger on their failures (as if the natives are the explanation for the colonial failures in the New World). For example, Ponce de Leon, one of Spain’s first explorers to visit the Floridas, consistently had trouble colonizing in Florida because of the violence with the Timucuan tribe. As a result, Ponce de Leon constructed negative impressions of the land and its inhabitants, blaming the natives for the inability to colonize in Florida when in fact it had nothing to do with the inhabitants.
The French explorers simply evaluated the Native Americans solely on appearance. “Over the years, as disillusionment grew, these regerences to native character, barbarity, paganism, nudity, clothing, physical features, and, finally, skin color coalesced into a single negative meaning: Indians differed significantly from Europeans and these differences impeded colonial ambitions in North America” (Murphree 74). Racialized views enhanced hostility between French and Native Americans. French settlers and the Natchez continually were violent with one another. The only reason for violence: the building of racial antagonism over the decades. Eventually, such radicalization gave French colonists justification to attempt to eradicate the inhabitants in western Florida. Not only this, the French settlers judged all natives as a whole, so the racial antagonism towards the Natchez spread to all other Indian groups.
Although British explorers tried to acknowledge their admiration for native groups, signs of racism still existed in their accounts. Authors Bartram and Adiar wanted to provide accounts of Native Americans without demeaning rhetoric; however, inevitably they still used racist language. For example they referred to the inhabitants as “noble savages.” In no way is “noble savage” a flattering description.
In conclusion, the Spaniards, Frenchmen, and Britons constructed negative images of the inhabitants of Florida based on morality, behavior, spirituality, physical appearance. Such negative images influenced and stimulated violence and hostility in European-Indian relationships. Radicalization, if anything, impeded any colonial advancement in the New World. Race has defined Florida because it has defined the crucial relationships that contributed to the early development of Florida.

How Race Defined Today's Florida

Racialization is the process of dehumanizing a group or social class and determining they are inferior to your definition of civilized. In Constructing Floridians Daniel S. Murphree discusses how racialization developed over the 300 year colonization period of Florida. Florida was given a mythical perception. It was believed to be a place of great wealth and prosperity, a place where any crop can be grown and gold was abundant throughout the land. However when the Spanish, French, and British came to colonize Florida they rudely awakened. The harsh climate and dangerous environment made it very difficult to survive. The natives were viewed as part of this dangerous environment. Having a different lifestyle, the natives were not recognized as human. Instead they seemed barbaric and even animal like to the settlers due to their different language, religion and appearance. The Europeans began to disassociate themselves from the natives and eventually began to blame them for their hard comings.

Due to this common thought, the Europeans built a mutual bond that allowed them to develop the European Florida identity. “Soldiers, missionaries, traders, and settlers from varied ethnic, cultural, spiritual, and economic backgrounds forged bonds through racialization of the natives” (123). Two groups emerged in Florida, natives and European Floridians. These European Floridians now understand their “environment, natural obstacles, and collective identity” due to they past with the indigenous people (125). These Europeans thought ensuing Christianity upon the natives would civilize them. Although unsuccessful during colonization, it is the leading religion found in Florida.

Today Florida has its own unique identity. Since the Europeans blamed the natives for their misfortunes, the mythical presence still survives here. Florida is still thought of as a paradise even after 300 years of little success.

A History of Racialization in Florida

Race has always played a role in Florida and the surrounding areas since the first European explorers came ashore. Daniel S. Murphree's sociocultural study, Constructing Floridians, focuses on the early time period, from 1513 to 1783, when the United States was still struggling to find its place in the world and the major cultural conflict that occurred between the native tribes of Florida and European settlers. His book does an in-depth analysis on the relationships between the Europeans who came to Florida looking for a "Garden of Eden" and the native people who were completely different from anything the Europeans had seen. A key term Murphee uses in his analysis of this early Floridian history is "racialization" or the process of "othering" the native people. It is pointed out that much of the racialization that takes place in Florida is based on the ideas and images of the region, rather than experiences with the native peoples. The idealized images of the Florida region played a major role in the racialization process. Europeans in general were fed a unrealistic, one-sided version of the Florida environment that indirectly ruins the European-Native relationship for many. Believing that Florida was a land full of rich, natural resources and the most hospitable harvesting conditions, settlers fled to the area with the idea of living in a paradise. They had been failed to be told that the environment can be extremely harsh and devastating to those with little to no knowledge or experience in such conditions. This resulted in many failures and much suffering by the ignorant settlers, who quickly point the finger towards the local inhabitants as the lack of prosperity. The European idealization of the Florida region played a role in racialization, but by no means was the only factor. In many journals and letters by European settlers, the native peoples are described as barbarians. They are barbarians because first and foremost their culture is completely different than that of the European culture. The language barrier, religious differences and overall differences in social practices makes the native people "uncivilized" in the eyes of the European settlers. The Europeans attempt to civilize the natives by forcing Christianity and European culture on them. When the natives naturally resist, the Europeans assume they must be impossible to civilize because of their deep savagery. The Europeans keep widening this gap of separating peoples of each culture in order to set up a system of domination. They psychologically dominate the native people by creating this false sense that white settlers are born supreme to the native person. The effects of this have been devastating and can still be seen today. These are the unfortunate and terrible results of two cultures that were perhaps destined to clash.

The role of race in defining Florida

Over the coarse of 496 years of history in the Americas, race and racialization in Florida has progressed significantly. Upon European arrival in the Americas in the early 1500s, there was a clear and defining culture clash. From religion, and appearance, to technology, and sexual practice - the Native Americans and Europeans simply had very little in common. These initial dissimilarities quickly steered from a cultural interest to deliberate racialization. For example, the Spanish, English, and French settlers initially described the Native Americans as, "muscular and athletic," however soon shifted their descriptions to, "primal, and animalistic." As the Native Americans became more and more of an obstacle to European supremacy, the ultimate solution of a deliberate targeting of Natives based on race was carried out. This trend was consistent across the continent - and our society today still reflects the actions of European racialization in Florida.

Racial Implications and Defining Florida

Since explorations to the Americas begun, the Europeans have had to deal not only with problems associated with the land but also problems with the Native Americans who had already had footholds in the Americas for many years. Initially Europeans didn't look to understand the Native Americans but they looked to eliminate them totally because of the problems they posed with controlling the land and complicating their trading processes. In Constructing Floridians Daniel S. Murphee highlights the struggles of the Europeans in dealing with the Native Americans paganism, their barbaric nature, and their uncivilized actions. The Spaniards, French, and the British all came in to account with Native Americans at different times but all classified them the same and made attempts at racialization which most of the time ended in bloodshed. Native Americans were different in all aspects of life. They had their own set of "morals, manners, activities, lifestyles, and philosophies," that were different than that of the Europeans. The Indians were not Christians and European attempts at conversion failed. The way that they dressed (or lack of) emphasized their natural beauty and muscular build which was frowned upon by the Europeans. Also, their savagness and advanced weaponry was much different from the Europeans and other settlers of that time. These differences between the Native Inhabitants and the European settlers helped to form an identity for what Americans should look like and the ways in which they should conduct themselves. Racialization would continue to be a problem with settlers because the more they gave themselves an identity the more fuedal the relationships between themselves and the Native Americans would be. All in all, racialization acted as a blueprint to the character of the ideal American and all the practices and lifestyles that would be frowned upon in times to come.

the impact of race in florida

Race has played an important role in Florida's development since the first explorers arrived. Upon discovering the Native Americans who inhabited Florida, judgments have been made based upon their cultural and social customs. The Europeans came to Florida expecting a magical place where possibilities were hoped to be endless. The European settlers soon blamed the Natives for their failures as they entered the "New World" and found that their new home was far from what they expected. As they began to fail in the progress they hoped to have, they were quick to blame the Native Americans. Stereotypes were placed upon the Native Americans such as them being barbaric, cannibalistic, fierce, threatening, and animal-like species that were a threat to all European settlers and their advancements in their new habitat. Although this racism instilled by the European settlers prevented any alliance with the Native Americans, it did draw the Spanish, French, and British closer together in the sense that they all agreed that the Natives were barbaric and threatening to their societies. The European settlers may not have realize how beneficial it could have been had they worked with the Native Americans better to make their settlement more proficient.

Race and It's Impact in Defining Florida

In “Constructing Floridians,” author Daniel S. Murphree discusses the ways in which relations between American Indians and Europeans defined both Florida and the Europeans who settled there. The racialization the Europeans implemented in defining the natives that lived in the Floridas, racialization that worsened over time, was also a way they defined themselves. By describing the native population as inherently “barbaric,” “fierce” and “wild,” unable to be civilized or moral, the Europeans distanced themselves from the Indians, showing how the Indians were different from the civilized and moral Europeans. As the European settlers encountered failure and disappointment in their many endeavors, they began to blame the native population for their own mistakes and disasters. The racialization of the Native Americans, as Murphree pointed out, not only led to tension between European Floridian settlers and native populations that lasted for centuries, but also to the bonds Europeans were able to form with one another, regardless of their economic situations, class status or even nationality. Because they all saw the natives as the enemies of European accomplishment and achievement in the New World (blocking possible growth and success) and inherently uncivilized and barbaric, the settlers were able to “achieve common ground through their intellectual conceptualizations of the Indians,” bonds that Murphree asserts they would not have been able to do without this common feeling of moral and cultural superiority. Even in recent decades, descendants of European immigrants and settlers would define themselves and their environment in relation to the native populations still living there. This tension and racialization “evolved into racism…and native resistance led to new forms of genocidal conflict.” Some of this conflict between Native Americans and white Americans still continues today, showing that the race relations that impacted Florida back in the times of Spanish, French and English colonization still continue today.

Race in Florida

Race has defined Florida since the first explorers arrived. The native tribes of the Calusa, Timucuans, Guales, and Apalachees were always viewed people who were not as valuable to society as the Europeans who invaded their land. Due to their primal ways of life, Europeans first overlooked the natives and described them in respect to the environment. After a period of time, explorers could no longer just associate these people with land. They learned more about how they performed everyday tasks, their religion, and skilled use of weapons. The more the explorers learned the less the two groups existed in peace. At this point in time, racial differences began to affect the way the Europeans treated the natives, which in turn, affected the way the natives acted towards the explorers. Due to frustration of having to work for success, colonists began blaming natives for misfortune. This blaming escalated into physical acts. The Indians could not just sit back and take this abuse, so they retaliated. Another issue that further separated the two groups was religion. The Indians believed in paganism and had their own systems of belief when it came to worship, sex, and marriage. The Europeans saw the natives’ religion and immediately sent missionaries, who were catholic, over to “save” them. The natives were set in their ways and the efforts of the missionaries were not accepted. The Europeans then sent Franciscan missionaries to the new world. These priest would not take no for an answer. They would force Catholicism on the natives using violence and even death threats. There goal was to eliminate culture differences between the two groups. They wanted to cloth the native people and teach them European acceptable behavior. Race has defined Florida in a way that states separate groups need to exist and accept one another. They must not try to change without the other group’s consent; otherwise, the racial clash creates tension, which leads to violence. In Florida, the Europeans never respected the natives beliefs and ultimately the native populations either died out or were significantly reduced.

The Cultural differences between Natives and Europeans

In Daniel Murphree’s book Constructing Floridians, In regard to the discrimination of the natives by the Europeans, the difference between the two cultures was so contrasting and hostile, that both sides refused to compromise. Since 1560, the early Spanish settlements established missionaries in order to attempt to convert and civilize the independent native tribes such as the Calusa and Apalachee tribes. As this failed, the opinion of the natives deteriorated. Some settlers, motivated by greed desired to pillage the indigenous villages for gold. Menendez de Aviles describes the natives as “warlike, intractable and wanted nothing to do with the Christians” according to their paganism. He also said that they “practiced no austerity, but follow whatever their sensual and bestial vice leads them” in reference to the natives’ polygamous and open society in contrast to the constrained and regulated Spanish culture at the time (Murphree 39). These attempts of purification and Christian conversion led to disarray. The natives did not receive the proper respect from the Spanish, being subject to forced conversion, racism and alienation. In the 1690’s, the French became interested in Florida for its fur trade. Because of their small numbers the French relied upon negotiations with the indigenous tribes and deerskin trade. However, racism formed out of stark contrast in culture and customs. While some French colonizers “enjoyed their presence and even had interracial marriages, others such as Jean Bienville perceived different tribes in a negative light, with insults ranging from cowardly, lazy and lawless” (Murphree 80). The French failed to retain peace among warring tribes because of their discrimination and attempts to force their own values upon the natives. The better equipped British were well educated and so they sought to educate and civilize them. Even though the British wanted a better understanding of the natives, their desire to convert and moralize the natives caused disorder. The British followed the “same cycle of judgementalism” as their predecessors out of fear and cruelty in order to “civilize” them. Hatred escalated as British settlers cruelly disdained the Native Americans for the color of their skin, barbarous acts and lifestyle. The seemingly peaceful religious negotiations and respect turned into war and suppression. This was not as successful as what the French tried to promote because the natives wanted to retain their identity as peaceful lovers of nature, not violent savages. Cultural differences and stereotypes among the Europeans and the natives caused fear, tension and hatred among each other. Neither side cooperated because of culture clashes, war and religious differences. This began to deteriorate in the 1900s when prejudices began to decline as both began to gain mutual respect for each other.

Race defining Florida

The book “Constructing Floridians” by Daniel Murphee solely focused on European’s first contact with the natives in Florida. Race was the important issue in our reading. The Europeans saw the natives in Florida to be hostile barbarians and uncivilized but that was in their own perspective. The different religion, style of dress, language, appearance, and sexual practices that the natives have was just a shock towards the Europeans.  The colonizers wanted to civilized the natives. Well, civilize the natives like them. The Europeans tried to convert all of the natives to Christianity, give them a different style of clothing and change their sexual practices. By doing so the European ways was now dominant and Florida thus redefining race in Florida. Florida, which was once defined by native ways of living, was now converted to the European way, which is still present today. 

Florida and the Impact Race had in it's Early Stages

Race is arguably one of the most important aspects when looking at how Florida was defined. The Europeans played a huge role in the culture and overall appearance of modern Florida, for instance the architecture. The spanish (hispanic/latino race) settlers pushed much of their culture upon the land and natives of Florida and the modern day houses one can see in Florida (the style roofing and exterior etc), though they are just replicas of what used to be. Florida could have turned out completely different if the Native American's had been the dominant race; the settlers took over and imposed their values and ways of life onto Floridian inhabitants. Those natives who lived had a European way of life forced upon them. Their views on clothing, everyday lifestyle, sexual practices, and trade/barter were completely different from those of the Europeans and they were forced to change and the "European Floridian Identity"(Murphee, 54) was set into motion. The European lifestyle would be the way in which the state would progress, and the natives no longer had a say. Yet another way in which race played a large role in how Florida was defined is the religious aspect. The European settlers believed that "Indians might be Christianized and 'that under certain circumstances, if it's God's will, one could easily instruct them, not only in humanity and virtue, but also in holiness and religion' "(54), and also forced Christianity upon natives, thus Florida ended up being a Christian society of people as opposed to an atheist, agnostic, or pagan society, once again due to race and social grouping. Although some natives remained pagan despite the Europeans best effort to convert them and save them from their barbaric rituals, their ways became less and less prominent and as one can see, Christianity became the prominent religion.

Race's Role in Defining Early Florida

Our readings out of Danial Murphee's "Constructing Floridians" this past week have focused almost exclusively on the interactions between the Florida Native American groups and the early European colonists. In terms of Early Florida (the time period to which I will restrict my definition, as it has been entirely our focus thus far), race played into largely to European visions, descriptions, and eventually excuses, of and for the Floridas (Dr. Murphee's term for addressing the varying geographies of what is today the general southeastern United States, the locale in question). Early European explorers largely described the Floridas as the paradise of plentiful wild crops and game, wonderful weather, fertile soil, gold and silver deposits, natural resources, and in general anything and everything that an expanding imperial nation should seek in a new colony. The natives were involved in these descriptions, not so much described in the same manner as the native fauna (at least not yet), but certainly as aspects of the landscape and nature of the place itself. At this point, racial negativity was not so much the point as racialization itself, in terms of separating the natives as a culture and people wholly separate (and somewhat if not wholly inferior) to the Europeans, who viewed themselves as of the civilized worlds, and the indigenous peoples as savages and barbarians. The innate differences between the two groups were zeroed in on by the Europeans, and cultural distinctions (including but not limited to differences in physical build and appearance, language, style of dress, marital and sexual practices, methodology in the realm of lineage, etc.) became the basis used to separate the two groups in a manner that made the imposition of European culture palpable. One of the most important of these was the European attempt to Christianize the Natives, beginning with Jesuit (and later Franciscan missions) being set up throughout the area whose goal it was to convert the Native masses to the strict Catholicism of Spain (who became the dominant presence in the territory following the Treaty of Tordesillas as well as their expulsion of the French, and whose zealousness was freshly proven by their recent ejection of the Jews and Moors from the Iberian peninsula after the union and rise of Ferdinand and Isabella). This separation also made it easier for the Spanish to blame their failures at the hands of the Floridian geography on the Natives, as their racial separation nearly if not completely dehumanized them, allowing for accusations of their barbarity to take precedence over valid observations regarding lack of realism in past descriptions of the Floridas' Paradise-esque nature.