Our latest issue of FORUM

Featuring the stories (and myths) of Spanish Florida

To commemorate the upcoming 500th anniversary of Ponce de León’s landing on our shores, we delve into the stories of the explorers and colonists who claimed Florida for Spain, set up missions and communities, and brought lasting cultural influences. Also, enjoy our “Bridging Cultures” and “Favorite Florida Place” columns.

Some highlights:

Who started the myth about a Fountain of Youth?
Historian J. Michael Francis traces the origins of this apocryphal story and discusses its impact on our perceptions of Florida.

How seashells saved St. Augustine
Resilient Spanish settlers had to rebuild their town twice after British raiders burned it down—but St. Augustine thrives today as the nation’s oldest permanent European settlement.

A remarkable figure emerges from the past
Scholar Darcie MacMahon chronicles the many lives of an escaped African slave who received sanctuary in Florida, led a militia, petitioned the Spanish king for pay, and talked his way out of trouble.

Pensacola: A mixing pot of humanity
Races and nationalities from around the world blended in this open society—an example of Florida’s early globalism.

Hispanic ties still shape Florida
Historian Paul Dosal describes how our Spanish heritage endures in many ways (including through food) and how Hispanic influences continue to grow through immigration from the Caribbean and South and Central America.

Bridging Cultures
A Haitian-Floridian tells about her journey toward Americanization.

My Favorite Florida Place
Welcome to the Linger Lodge, where the food is so fresh you can see the tire tracks. The gator will seat you now…

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