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Florida History > Florida: Waterfront Property
Greetings! My name is Hialeah. It means “pretty prairie” in my language—the language of the Seminole Indians. Actually, we speak two languages, Muscogee and Miccosukee. We Seminoles have a long history in Florida. You can read about some of below, or you can visit www.seminoletribe.com, the official website of our tribe. Those of us who lived here before the Europeans arrived are called Native Americans, or peoples of the First Nations. The Seminole tribe is young, compared to others who shared the land we now call America. We descended from the Creek tribe, who lived in Alabama and Georgia. The Seminole tribe is made up of clans: Bear, Panther, Wind, Bird and Snake, among others. My mother’s clan is Panther, which makes me Panther. My father was from the Bear clan, but became a member of our Panther clan when he married my mother. When I marry, my husband will join the Panther clan, too.
Our chickee huts are what the Seminoles are known for. You see them everywhere in Florida, especially South Florida, where many of us live. They are open huts supported with big Cypress logs, and the thatched roofs are made of palm leaves sewn together by vines or thin ropes. Chickees have no walls, so they’re always breezy and keep us cool in the summer, but shelter us from the hot sun and frequent rain. Life as a Seminole is a proud one, full of rich history, bravery, endurance and tradition. It was nice meeting you, and I hope you have fun while you’re visiting Making Tracks! Florida: Waterfront Property The first people to live in Florida were looking for water. But not just salt water. They also wanted the fresh water found in sinkholes and springs throughout the state. Many of these first tribes were called Moundbuilders because they built large mounds to bury their dead ancestors. They build their village near the mound to be close to their ancestors. These villages were usually near fresh water, too.
After hearing about Ponce de Leon’s journey to this flowery land, many other explorers wanted to check it out. Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Álvar_Núñez_Cabeza_de_Vaca and Hernando de Soto soon followed. It was Hernando de Soto who, with a few men, ventured up the middle part of the state, up into Georgia, Tennessee and other regions, until he discovered the great Mississippi River. The French, hearing about Spain’s conquests in the New World, wanted a piece of the action. They built Fort Caroline near what is now Jacksonville. Spain built a fort at St. Augustine. The British soon arrived. Sir Francis Drake attacked St. Augustine in 1586, and after some battles in and around Fort Augustine, the British took control of Florida. The British divided Florida into East Florida and West Florida and tried to get other settlers to move there. At the close of the War of 1812, West Florida became part of the land purchased under the Louisiana Purchase and became American property.
Spain eventually signed a treaty with America, and Florida became an official territory of the United States on March 30, 1822, and merged West and East Florida into one “Florida.” It was during this time that slavery was growing in the South. Plantation owners were dependent on slaves to work their land and help their businesses prosper. Many slaves ran away, heading south to Florida, where remaining Seminole Indians sheltered them. As more slaves ran south to the safety of the Seminole tribe, more slave owners called for action. The Second Seminole War began. Seminole leader Osceola made a name for himself during this war. But the Seminoles fell to the American Army.
At the war’s close in 1859, only 100 Seminoles remained in Florida. Some were relocated to Oklahoma or Alabama, others hid out in the Everglades, and still others were killed.
In 1971, Walt Disney World opened, and Orlando became the family vacation destination. Most of Florida’s economy to this day is based on tourism. But its beginnings began with that timeless pursuit: land and water.
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Meet Hialeah
Corn is a popular food among many tribes, and the planting, growing and harvesting of corn is celebrated every year. Our tribe celebrates with a Green Corn Dance each May. Many rituals are performed during this time, but my favorite is the “stomp dance.” Everyone is dressed in traditional clothing—so colorful and grand. And we dance for hours! The Green Corn Dance is also a time clans to reunite. It’s always good to see people I haven’t seen all year once again.
In time, other tribes moved into Florida: the Apalachee, the Timucua, Calusa and Tequesta, among others. Then the Spanish came. Juan Ponce de Leon arrived on April 2, 1513, and named the land he saw Pascua Florida, since it was around April and he saw many flowers (Pascua Florida means Flower Festival).
In the meantime, Spain had become friendly with many of the Indians, particularly the Seminoles (a relatively new tribe made up of descendants from Creek tribes living in Alabama and Georgia). Spain and the Seminoles began to fight against the settlers moving in, leading to the First Seminole War.
On March 3, 1845, Florida became a state, and as it grew, it was evident that the Seminoles were not wanted by the settlers working the land there. The Seminoles were expert farmers and cattlemen, and many times American farmers lost trade business to the Seminoles, whose produce and meat were far better than what the American farmers had to offer. And the Seminoles had better land, which the Americans wanted. This led to the Third Seminole War.
In the years following the Civil War, railroads helped make Florida a major tourist destination. Henry Flagler built the East Coast Railway from Jacksonville to the Florida Keys, and Henry Plant built hotels. A land boom in the early 1920s made land in Florida cheap, and another one following World War II helped Florida grow into a booming economy. Miami became the prime vacation place, and the 1960’s Space Race put Cape Canaveral on the map.
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