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Copyright 2001. The Lazy 'C' - All rights reserved.
history
A joint resolution of the legislature in 1899, approved by state voters in 1900, made our current State Flag the official banner of Florida. The official specifications for the flag can be found in Chapter 15.012 of the Florida Statutes. "The State Flag shall conform with standard commercial sizes and be of the following portions and descriptions: The seal of the state, in diameter one-half the hoist, shall occupy the centre of a white ground. Red bars, in width one-fifth the hoist, shall extend from each corner towards the centre, to the outer rim of the seal." The Department of State is the custodian of the State Flag.
Nickname: The Sunshine State.
Capital: Tallahassee.
Constitution: The 27th State.
Statehood: March 3rd 1845.
Motto: In God We Trust
History:
Burial mounds found along Florida's western coast show that Indians lived in the region at least as long as 10,000 years ago. About 10,000 Indians lived in the region when Europeans first reached its shores.
Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon claimed the Florida peninsula for Spain in 1513. A group of Huguenots (French Protestants) established a colony on the St. Johns River in 1564. The next year, a group of 100 Spaniards founded St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States. The Spaniards massacred the French colony and ended French attempts to settle in eastern Florida.
Spaniards occupied Florida for the next 200 years. Meanwhile, English colonists established settlements to the north of Florida, and France started colonies to the west. In the mid-1700's, wars broke out between the two groups. Spain sided with France. In 1762, British forces captured Cuba. In 1763, Spain gave Florida to Britain in exchange for Cuba.
Spanish forces regained control of Florida during the American Revolution (1775-1783). The United States formally took control of Florida in 1821.
The U.S. Congress organized the Territory of Florida in 1822. Thousands of American settlers poured into the territory, but they had difficulty finding enough land for settlement. The Seminole Indians lived in some of the richest farmland. The U.S. government offered the Indians land in the Oklahoma territory, but many refused to leave their homes. The Second and Third Seminole Wars in the mid-1800's resulted in most of the tribe being wiped out or forced to resettle.
Florida was admitted to the Union as a slave state in 1845. On Jan. 10, 1861, Florida seceded (withdrew) from the Union. Tallahassee, Florida, and Austin, Texas, were the only Confederate state capitals that Union troops did not capture during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Florida was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868.
Florida developed rapidly during the 1880's. Geologists discovered large phosphate deposits. Swampland was drained. Railways led to the opening up of new land for development. Citrus groves were planted. Resort cities sprang up. People and money from northern states poured into Florida.
Reports of fantastic profits to be made on Florida property swept the U.S.A. during the early 1900's. By 1925, Florida's economy had become a swelling bubble of progress and prosperity. The bubble burst in 1926, when a severe depression hit Florida. The state had partly recovered by the late 1920's. Then, in 1929, the Great Depression struck the United States. Federal and state welfare measures helped Florida during the Depression years.
Florida's location along the Atlantic Ocean and near the Panama Canal made the state important for the defence of the Western Hemisphere during World War II (1939-1945). Land, sea, and air bases were established in many parts of the state.
After the war, Florida's population grew tremendously. Tourism remained the leading source of income, but industrial expansion helped give the state a more balanced economy. In the 1950's, Cape Canaveral became a space and rocket centre.
In the early 1960's, after Cuba fell under Communist control, many Cubans fled to Florida. They settled mainly in Miami and Hialeah.
Like many other U.S. states, Florida faced serious racial problems during the 1960's. By the late 1960's, every county had integrated all or most of its public schools. Florida also began an ambitious programme to expand its facilities for higher education during the 1960's. It was partly designed to serve the future demands for personnel in the oceanographic and aerospace industries.
Florida grew rapidly during the 1970's and 1980's. After 1980, more than 100,000 Cuban and Haitian refugees settled in Florida. The state's spectacular growth, however, has also brought problems. The increasing population requires more homes, roads, schools, sewage and water treatment plants, and health and social services. Uncontrolled development has also led to growing concern for protecting Florida's environment.
Bird:
The common mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a superb songbird and mimic. Its own song has a pleasant lilt, varied and repetitive. Often it will sing all night long, especially in bright springtime moonlight.
All ten species of mockingbirds are virtually alike in form: about 10" in length, with a 15" wingspan, greyish upper portions, white undersides, and white patches on the tail and wings. The female has slightly less whiteness.
The nest, a joint male/female project, is a bulky, open cup of grass, twigs and rootlets carelessly arranged in a dense tree of bush. The 3-6 eggs per nest are a pale blue-greenish with brown spots. This year-round Florida resident is known for its fierce defense of the family nest.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No.3 of the 1927 legislative session designated the mockingbird as the State Bird. Not only a Florida favourite, it is the State Bird of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
Economy:
Agriculture: Citrus, vegetables, nursery stock, cattle, sugarcane, dairy products.
Industry: Tourism, electric equipment, food processing, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, machinery.
Flower:
The orange blossom was designated State Flower by Concurrent Resolution No. 15, 1909 Legislature. It is one of the most fragant flowers in Florida. Millions of these white flowers perfume the atmosphere throughout central and south Florida during orange blossom time.
Origin of state's name:
Named on Easter 1513 by Ponce de Leon for Pascua Florida, meaning "flowery Easter".
Tree:
The 1953 Legislature designated the sabal palm as the State Tree. This palm is the most widely distributed in the state and possesses a majesty that sets it apart from other trees. It grows in almost any soil and has many uses including food and medicine. It is also used widely for landscaping because of its universal popularity. In addition, the 1970 Florida Legislature mandated that the sabal palm should replace the cocoa palm on the State Seal.
Burial mounds found along Florida's western coast show that Indians lived in the region at least as long as 10,000 years ago. About 10,000 Indians lived in the region when Europeans first reached its shores.
Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon claimed the Florida peninsula for Spain in 1513. A group of Huguenots (French Protestants) established a colony on the St. Johns River in 1564. The next year, a group of 100 Spaniards founded St. Augustine, the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States. The Spaniards massacred the French colony and ended French attempts to settle in eastern Florida.
Spaniards occupied Florida for the next 200 years. Meanwhile, English colonists established settlements to the north of Florida, and France started colonies to the west. In the mid-1700's, wars broke out between the two groups. Spain sided with France. In 1762, British forces captured Cuba. In 1763, Spain gave Florida to Britain in exchange for Cuba.
Spanish forces regained control of Florida during the American Revolution (1775-1783). The United States formally took control of Florida in 1821.
The U.S. Congress organized the Territory of Florida in 1822. Thousands of American settlers poured into the territory, but they had difficulty finding enough land for settlement. The Seminole Indians lived in some of the richest farmland. The U.S. government offered the Indians land in the Oklahoma territory, but many refused to leave their homes. The Second and Third Seminole Wars in the mid-1800's resulted in most of the tribe being wiped out or forced to resettle.
Florida was admitted to the Union as a slave state in 1845. On Jan. 10, 1861, Florida seceded (withdrew) from the Union. Tallahassee, Florida, and Austin, Texas, were the only Confederate state capitals that Union troops did not capture during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Florida was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868.
Florida developed rapidly during the 1880's. Geologists discovered large phosphate deposits. Swampland was drained. Railways led to the opening up of new land for development. Citrus groves were planted. Resort cities sprang up. People and money from northern states poured into Florida.
Reports of fantastic profits to be made on Florida property swept the U.S.A. during the early 1900's. By 1925, Florida's economy had become a swelling bubble of progress and prosperity. The bubble burst in 1926, when a severe depression hit Florida. The state had partly recovered by the late 1920's. Then, in 1929, the Great Depression struck the United States. Federal and state welfare measures helped Florida during the Depression years.
Florida's location along the Atlantic Ocean and near the Panama Canal made the state important for the defence of the Western Hemisphere during World War II (1939-1945). Land, sea, and air bases were established in many parts of the state.
After the war, Florida's population grew tremendously. Tourism remained the leading source of income, but industrial expansion helped give the state a more balanced economy. In the 1950's, Cape Canaveral became a space and rocket centre.
In the early 1960's, after Cuba fell under Communist control, many Cubans fled to Florida. They settled mainly in Miami and Hialeah.
Like many other U.S. states, Florida faced serious racial problems during the 1960's. By the late 1960's, every county had integrated all or most of its public schools. Florida also began an ambitious programme to expand its facilities for higher education during the 1960's. It was partly designed to serve the future demands for personnel in the oceanographic and aerospace industries.
Florida grew rapidly during the 1970's and 1980's. After 1980, more than 100,000 Cuban and Haitian refugees settled in Florida. The state's spectacular growth, however, has also brought problems. The increasing population requires more homes, roads, schools, sewage and water treatment plants, and health and social services. Uncontrolled development has also led to growing concern for protecting Florida's environment.
Bird:
The common mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a superb songbird and mimic. Its own song has a pleasant lilt, varied and repetitive. Often it will sing all night long, especially in bright springtime moonlight.
All ten species of mockingbirds are virtually alike in form: about 10" in length, with a 15" wingspan, greyish upper portions, white undersides, and white patches on the tail and wings. The female has slightly less whiteness.
The nest, a joint male/female project, is a bulky, open cup of grass, twigs and rootlets carelessly arranged in a dense tree of bush. The 3-6 eggs per nest are a pale blue-greenish with brown spots. This year-round Florida resident is known for its fierce defense of the family nest.
Senate Concurrent Resolution No.3 of the 1927 legislative session designated the mockingbird as the State Bird. Not only a Florida favourite, it is the State Bird of Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.
Economy:
Agriculture: Citrus, vegetables, nursery stock, cattle, sugarcane, dairy products.
Industry: Tourism, electric equipment, food processing, printing and publishing, transportation equipment, machinery.
Flower:
The orange blossom was designated State Flower by Concurrent Resolution No. 15, 1909 Legislature. It is one of the most fragant flowers in Florida. Millions of these white flowers perfume the atmosphere throughout central and south Florida during orange blossom time.
Origin of state's name:
Named on Easter 1513 by Ponce de Leon for Pascua Florida, meaning "flowery Easter".
Tree:
The 1953 Legislature designated the sabal palm as the State Tree. This palm is the most widely distributed in the state and possesses a majesty that sets it apart from other trees. It grows in almost any soil and has many uses including food and medicine. It is also used widely for landscaping because of its universal popularity. In addition, the 1970 Florida Legislature mandated that the sabal palm should replace the cocoa palm on the State Seal.