Orange Industry
AC and Early Tourism
Swamp Reclamation
European Colonization
Retirement Housing
Seminoles
Malaria
Railroads
While Florida today sparks images of theme parks, alligators and swamps, warm weather, and retirees, the state has had a long and complex history of development, war, and a myriad of eras. With my thesis, I seek to illustrate some of these periods in Florida’s history with a specific lens on what was gained and what was lost, and how typically Florida’s domestication came at the expense of its natural beauty.