History of Miami, Florida
Miami is all over with glamor, elegance, and cosmopolitan developments, and the first association with the city of Miami is certainly Miami Beach and CSI: Miami but its not all fun and games. Located in the southeast part of Florida, Miami can boast of sunny weather throughout the year making it an extremely popular tourist destination. In addition to its incredibly beautiful beaches and architectural buildings, Miami has a rich cultural life spanning the influences of the Caribbean Islands, Latin America, and Europe. Although, like most of the cities in the United States, it is modern and cosmopolitan. But even without historic buildings, the history of Miami is interesting enough and long to be intriguing to everyone.
The story of Miami began 10,000 years ago with Tequesta Indians whose territory ranged from the Florida Keys Archipelago in southern Florida to Broward County in the north. The Indians called themselves Miami, from where the name of the city comes from. Their villages were the largest on the northwestern side of the River Miami, or around today’s Key Biscayne. Tequesta Indians depended on the Miami River, and it could be said that they were the first inhabitants of Miami. Something more recent history compared to 10,000 years ago, returns us to the 16th century, more precisely in the year 1513, and the first European Juan Ponce de Leon who visited Miami.
Soon, Florida became a Spanish colony, and it was precisely the Spaniards that named it Florida, or “Bloom,” because it was discovered during Flower Week (Semana Florida) and not because it was full of flowers. Tequesta Indians were under the control of the Spaniards either forced to accept Christianity or to find a new territory. Around the 1700s there were migrations of Indians going to the south of Florida. These Indian tribes were much combative and they called themselves Seminoles. Seminoles were leading 3 big wars against America when the United States bought Florida from Spain. Florida was officially incorporated in the US in 1821. The wars with Seminoles began in 1816 and ended in 1858, and those 40 years of the Indian bloodshed represent the longest and bloodiest “Indian war” in the entire American history. Seminoles were trying to resist resettlement from today’s Miami in Arkansas and Oklahoma, where they did not like the climate. Between the second and third wars with the Seminoles, one settler renewed his uncle’s plantation on the banks of the River Miami and founded the Village of Miami. There begins a story about the current Miami.
“Village of Miami” was beginning to develop slowly, and the inhabitants started building hotels and, most importantly, build a railroad. The railway arrived in Miami in 1896, and the same year has officially founded the city under the name “The City of Miami”. Although at the beginning of the 20th Century Miami counted only about 1,000 people, it continued to evolve, and thanks to the warm climate, it began to attract immense people who built their magnificent houses and hotels in Miami. It’s interesting what a flourishing city and tourist destination experienced during the prohibition.
At a time when it might have been impossible for the new city to evolve, Miami succeeded. From 1923 to 1925, Miami attracted many people thanks to casinos and alcohol, which, like in Chicago, were not banned. In 1925, another important thing happened – “Coconut Grove” joined the city. And yet some settlements were making a city of 100,000 people. An important role in the history of the city was played by John Collins and Carl Fisher, who made Miami Beach are one of the most interesting and most attractive destinations in the whole country. They built hotels, night clubs, Dixie Highway, developed agriculture, and promoted the city. Nevertheless, in 1926, when a devastating hurricane hit Miami, the city was returning almost to the beginning, and the reconstruction of the city has further shaken by the Great Depression that occurred three years later.
After Hurricane, Depression, and WWII, a new period in the development of Miami begins. During 1950, the “art deco” building started in the nearby Miami Beach, which almost represented the symbol of Miami. However, in the 1950s, there were turbulent years for Miami. By 1959, Miami was a place of great fun for Cubans, which made the city known as “American Cuba”. Since 1959, when Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba, a large number of Cubans immigrated to Miami in search of a better life. In addition to the Afro-American, Hispanic, and Caribbean populations. Cubans also joined Miami city in hopes of becoming a place with diverse cultural influences. During the 1970s, the immigrants from Haiti and Nicaragua joined this mix of cultures. During the 1980s, the Miami region experienced a great rise. It starting to attract celebrities, and during the 1990s it became the third most desirable destination in the United States. That is really impressive given the fact that Miami had a major downfall just a few decades ago. Nevertheless, it did not prevent it from continuing to develop and conquer people with its beauty and charm. Today, Miami is the seat of many financial and multinational companies that connect cities with the world economy. A large number of international banks are also present, and the city continues to be a paradise for rich and famous people, but also to tourists from all over the world.
From the Tequesta Indians and the Seminole tribes, the Spanish conquest and merging to the United States, to the devastating Hurricane, the Great Depression, and the Cuban immigrants, it can be said that Miami has been through a lot, but it came out of it as a winner. The tumultuous history and the aggravating circumstances prevented it from being “The Village of Miami” to becoming the magnificent “The City of Miami” adorned with the beautiful Art Deco district, Miami Beach, and many other attractions that perfectly fit into the city’s background. The extremely favorable climate and unbreakable character of Miami made it one of the prettiest and most visited places in Florida. The future can only bring Miami more visitors and wonderful sunny days on the shores.
