Many loyalists settled here during the Revolutionary War, but by , the British were forced to return control of the Florida Colony to the Spanish. The second time the Spanish ruled the Florida colony was not as successful as the first.
Most of the loyalist population left for Canada or the Caribbean, and nearby Georgians having just won their freedom from British rule, saw great opportunity to the South. The Spanish Empire was in decline and after several attempts to oust the Spanish from the Florida colony, including intrusions by Andrew Jackson, Spain ceded its Florida holdings to the United States.
Plantations had become important economic centers along the St. Johns River. Now part of an established commerce network of a new and growing country, Jacksonville exported cotton, lumber, oranges, and vegetables and received manufactured goods from the North.
Jacksonville was the center of commercial activity in the territory by the time Florida gained statehood in This was a time of profound change for the fledging United States, especially in the South. Florida seceded from the Union, but there was support for both the Union and the Confederacy in Jacksonville. As a port city, Jacksonville played a major role in the Union blockade of the Confederacy and it was occupied by Union troops four times.
The population grew with both freed and runaway slaves seeking safety and a new life. As with many Southern cities, Jacksonville suffered both property damage and economic devastation due to the war. Its location as a port city again proved to be valuable, however. He planned to use a giant lizard to terrorize New York, but in the end changed the character to a gorilla. Speaking of movies, Norman Studios was founded in by Middleburg-born silent filmmaker Richard Norman.
While much of the industry headed to the West Coast, Norman helped keep movie-making in Jacksonville for another decade. The studio was one of the nation's first to break racial barriers by producing films with all African American casts. The most successful film out of Norman was a aviation thriller called The Flying Ace. It was inspired by Bessie Coleman, America's first black female stunt pilot. Today the buildings are managed by Norman Studios Silent Film Museum, a nonprofit working to help restore and reopen the property as a film-learning center.
Here's an excerpt: ''He had a room at the Sea Turtle Inn, on the beach, and at night he hit the bars along Atlantic Boulevard. He'd found two excellent restaurants, crowded little places with lots of young pretty girls and boys. He'd discovered Pete's Bar and Grill a block away, and for the last two nights he'd staggered from the place, drunk on cold drafts.
The Sea Turtle was just around the corner. He also would visit Pete's Bar , which just happens to be the first bar in Jacksonville to receive a liquor license at the end of the prohibition in During the 18th century, Jacksonville was a British settlement. Its original name was Cowford. Duval is the name of the county in which Jacksonville and the Jaguars reside. At Jaguars games the Jag fans have a long history of shouting and stretching out names of players that make a special play that dates back to the first season, ie: Joel Smeeeeeengeeeee and Maurice Jones-Dreeeeeeeewwww.
The Coastal The Coastal is a local magazine in Jacksonville, FL, founded in to bring you stories about the past, present, and future of the First Coast. Related Posts. Next Post. Comments 3 Mark Kennerly says:. Erasing history gains nothing and will do harm to us all.
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