Native American Tribes of Florida
Florida is a particular place that perceived the different nations’ influence on its politics. Nowadays, Florida’s politics is composed of three major compounds, which are Native, Spanish, and British. American Tribes that were the original population of Florida significantly contributed to contemporary Florida’s politics as their heritage caused a particular attitude to their modern representatives. According to Swann, “the ancient groups’ descendants are now members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.” Nowadays, 53.000 people in Florida are Native Americans, and 39 different tribes from across North America are represented in Florida’s population, and their rights are respected (Swann, n.d.). Florida is culturally and historically tied to its ancestors, and these relations are a part of the development of its politics.
Spanish Period
The Spanish explorer Ponce de León’s arrival became the new stage in Florida’s history because of several reasons. This colonizer named the area la Florida, in honor of Pascua florida, Spain’s Eastertime celebration (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). After the failure of the first attempt to conquer Florida, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the second colonizer, founded the primary permanent European colony (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). In addition, according to Swann (n.d.), “As part of the Spanish colonial strategy, Catholic missions were established to convert indigenous people to Christianity.” Spanish exploration caused noticeable changes in the origin population’s life that resulted in contemporary political development in Florida and made it similar to the European one.
British Florida
Throughout the entire history, control over Florida had been passed down from nation to nation. In 1763, Britain obtained Florida in exchange for other Spanish territories such as Cuba and Havana, which brought a new form of influence (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). British rule lasted only twenty years, but it is possible to track its consequences in politics, as modern Florida is tolerant to different nationalities and accepts European political approaches. (“European Exploration and Colonization,” n.d.). American Revaluation resulted in Florida’s final transformation into its current state and the end of the foreign control over this area.
References
Swann, B. (n.d.). Florida’s native American tribes, history & culture. Visit Florida. Web.
European exploration and colonization. (n.d.). Florida Department of State. Web.