An Afternoon with Florida History

The Naval Civil War in Florida

Join Robert Mattison as he discusses his book “The Naval Civil War in Florida. ”Rob Mattson has been participating in Civil War Naval living history for 18 years. To help with his research, he became a contributing blogger to the US Navy website 'The Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial' during the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War in 2011-2015, writing about Civil War naval events in Florida over that period. From this work, he authored and published a book, “The Civil War Navy in Florida,” an overview of naval actions in Florida during the war. His program will feature excerpts of events chronicled in the book and a book signing.

The Gilded Age in Florida

Learn how Florida changed after the Civil War from a backwater state to a Victorian paradise. Railroads, steamboat travel, mega resorts, and tourism began to flourish in the Gilded Age as Florida shed its southern roots and culture. Major industries took hold during this time like the cigar industry, sponging, cattle driving, and phosphate mining. Join Senior Curator of Education and History J. Zach Zacharias for a talk on this little-known history of Florida.

Free for members or with paid museum admission.