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Explorers first put the Pensacola area on the map 450 years ago, starting a long, rich, diverse heritage. Today, you can enjoy that multicultural legacy at many historical attractions.
Native Americans - The First Floridians
Before the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1513, Florida was home to at least 250,000 Native Americans who were part of several cultural groups. These first Floridians developed extensive trade routes and complex societies. During the 16th century, the Florida Panhandle was home to several smaller groups, such as the Panzacola, Chatot, and Sawokli Indians. The area’s sheltered bays and estuaries provided abundant food sources for these people as they hunted and fished along the West Florida coast.
More conquistadores arrived in 1698. Spanish soldiers, aided by slaves, built a fort at what is now the Naval Air Station on Pensacola Bay. That settlement was unearthed in 1998 and opened to the public. A bastion and educational kiosk help you imagine life over 300 years ago.
A Change of Hands
Over the years Pensacola changed hands often - among Spain, France, England, the United States and the Confederacy. During the Civil War, Union troops held Fort Pickens and Rebels held Fort McRee.
Building History
All those bricks! More than 21 million. Most of them were made right across the bay in Pensacola and barged to the site where the Fort stands today. The Navy shipyard, established in 1825, evolved into an air station, propelling Pensacola into the forefront of naval aviation. This affiliation produced many distinguished military soldiers, sailors and aviators, including the first African-American to become a four-star general in the Air Force, Chappie James of Pensacola, who flew 100 combat missions in Korea and Vietnam.
The Fort was completed in 1834 and used until WWII, when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens has changed over the years, so take the self-guided tour and peel back the layers of history. It'll lead you to cannon emplacements, powder magazines, and show you where Bastion D isn't: the corner of the fort that was destroyed when a warehouse fire reached a magazine holding four tons of black powder. The 1899 explosion showered debris over 1-1/2 miles, reaching Fort Barrancas at the naval air station on the mainland.
*Info from www.VisitPensacola.com*
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