National Florida Day – January 25, 2025

History of National Florida Day

About 14,000 years ago, the first inhabitants to live in the peninsula that we now know to be part of the U.S. were the Native Americans. The archeological evidence and many artifacts the Native Americans left behind established this fact. In 1513, the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de León, arrived in Florida and made textual records. He called the peninsula ‘La Pascua Florida’ from which the state’s name was derived. The name ‘Pascua Florida,’ which means “Festival of Flowers” in Spanish, was given because of the region’s vast and flourishing landscape.

The first region where the Europeans settled in the United States was Florida. During the 16th century, the area was populated with French and Spanish settlements as well. Florida was also under the colonial rule of Spain from the 16th to the 19th century. The 19th century also witnessed the coming together of various communities. Florida became a refuge for African slaves, fugitives, and the Native American people. The new Native American groups from the South banded with fugitive slaves and became a group known as the Black Seminoles. The Seminoles were Native American people who moved to or lived in the state.

Florida was also under the rule of Great Britain during the 18th century, and after its independence, it became a territory of the United States in 1821. Finally, in 1845, Florida was admitted to the union as the 27th U.S. state. We celebrate this day every year to remember its history and honor the various struggles it endured.