The city of Jacksonville, Florida began to grow in the late 18th
century as Cow Ford, settled by British colonists. Its major
development occurred in the late nineteenth century, when it became a
winter vacation destination for tourists from the North and Midwest.
Its development was halted or slowed by the Great Fire of 1901, the
Florida Land Bust of the 1920s, and the economic woes of the 1960s and
70s. Since the late 20th century, the city has experienced steady
growth, with a new federal building constructed in downtown in
2003.Since 1940, Jacksonville has also been a major port for the
United States Navy. The city is a thriving metropolis with over a
million citizens. Due to its consolidated city-county government
structure, it has the largest municipal population among Florida
cities, as well as the largest land area of any city in the contiguous
United States.Archaeological evidence indicates 6,000 years of human
habitation in the area. Pottery has been found dating to 2500 BC,
nearly the oldest in the United States and second to artifacts of the
Savannah River area. In the 16th century, the beginning of the
historical record period, the area was inhabited by the Mocama, a
coastal subgroup of the Timucua indigenous Native Americans. At the
time of contact with Europeans, most Mocama villages in present-day
Jacksonville were part of the powerful chiefdom known as the Saturiwa,
centered on Fort George Island near the mouth of the St. Johns River.
They had a complex society, well-adapted to the environmental
conditions of the area.In 1513, Spanish explorers landed in Florida
and claimed their discovery for Spain (see Spanish Florida). The first
Europeans to visit the area were Spanish missionaries and explorers
from this period. In February 1562, French naval officer Jean Ribault
and a 150 settlers arrived seeking land for a safe haven for the
French Huguenots, Protestants suffering religious persecution in
France. Ribault explored the mouth of the St. Johns River before
moving north and establishing the colony of Charlesfort on what is now
Parris Island, South Carolina. Ribault returned to France for
supplies, but tensions from French Wars of Religion had broken out
during his absence. His return to Florida was delayed as a result.
Without leadership or provisions, the colonists abandoned Charlesfort.
In 1564 Ribault's former lieutenant, René Goulaine de Laudonnière,
launched a new expedition to found a colony on the St. Johns River. On
June 22, 1564, the settlers established Fort Caroline atop the St.
Johns Bluff.
century as Cow Ford, settled by British colonists. Its major
development occurred in the late nineteenth century, when it became a
winter vacation destination for tourists from the North and Midwest.
Its development was halted or slowed by the Great Fire of 1901, the
Florida Land Bust of the 1920s, and the economic woes of the 1960s and
70s. Since the late 20th century, the city has experienced steady
growth, with a new federal building constructed in downtown in
2003.Since 1940, Jacksonville has also been a major port for the
United States Navy. The city is a thriving metropolis with over a
million citizens. Due to its consolidated city-county government
structure, it has the largest municipal population among Florida
cities, as well as the largest land area of any city in the contiguous
United States.Archaeological evidence indicates 6,000 years of human
habitation in the area. Pottery has been found dating to 2500 BC,
nearly the oldest in the United States and second to artifacts of the
Savannah River area. In the 16th century, the beginning of the
historical record period, the area was inhabited by the Mocama, a
coastal subgroup of the Timucua indigenous Native Americans. At the
time of contact with Europeans, most Mocama villages in present-day
Jacksonville were part of the powerful chiefdom known as the Saturiwa,
centered on Fort George Island near the mouth of the St. Johns River.
They had a complex society, well-adapted to the environmental
conditions of the area.In 1513, Spanish explorers landed in Florida
and claimed their discovery for Spain (see Spanish Florida). The first
Europeans to visit the area were Spanish missionaries and explorers
from this period. In February 1562, French naval officer Jean Ribault
and a 150 settlers arrived seeking land for a safe haven for the
French Huguenots, Protestants suffering religious persecution in
France. Ribault explored the mouth of the St. Johns River before
moving north and establishing the colony of Charlesfort on what is now
Parris Island, South Carolina. Ribault returned to France for
supplies, but tensions from French Wars of Religion had broken out
during his absence. His return to Florida was delayed as a result.
Without leadership or provisions, the colonists abandoned Charlesfort.
In 1564 Ribault's former lieutenant, René Goulaine de Laudonnière,
launched a new expedition to found a colony on the St. Johns River. On
June 22, 1564, the settlers established Fort Caroline atop the St.
Johns Bluff.
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