Early Visions of Florida

02/03/2023

What did a provincial capital like Pensacola look like circa 1805? C.C. Robin's Voyage to Louisiana, an overlooked gem first written in French, describes "West Florida" during a transitional time. Nicely edited by USF English PhD student (and Louisiana native) Benjamin Brothers, this week's is as close as we'll get to a time machine! Check it out.

C.C. Robin, Voyage to Louisiana C.C. Robin’s Voyage to Louisiana catalogs his travels through Pensacola, New Orleans, Attakapas Parish (present-day St. Martin Parish), and Ouachita Parish from 1803 to 1805–a period that saw the French cede control of the Louisiana territory to the burgeoning Uni...

06/27/2022

Cool new stuff on the Early Visions of Florida site, developed with students at the USF St. Petersburg campus. Video lessons from A-list scholars on key authors & texts. Resource page for further research. Thanks to Florida Humanities for generous support and to USF St. Petersburg campus Nelson Poynter Memorial Library for the video production. Enjoy & share!

Home Juan Ponce de Leon commenced the European invasion of La Florida in 1513. Spanish explorers attempted several unsuccessful expeditions through the Sixteenth Century. A French toehold founded in 1564 met Spanish resistance, leading to the founding of St. Augustine in 1565. Franciscan missions me...

06/22/2022

How did Spanish friars explain Christianity to the Timucua people of present-day Florida? Religion scholar Timothy Johnson reviews side-by-side translations in Francisco Pareja's confession manuals, offering an unexpected window into the world view of the region's First People.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTDhSA9CtNw&t=1s

Home Juan Ponce de Leon commenced the European invasion of La Florida in 1513. Spanish explorers attempted several unsuccessful expeditions through the Sixteenth Century. A French toehold founded in 1564 met Spanish resistance, leading to the founding of St. Augustine in 1565. Franciscan missions me...

06/16/2022

Honor with Briton Hammon, one of our earliest Black voices in print. University of Alabama Professor Cassander Smith explains this remarkable writer and work. Short video generously funded by Florida Humanities, produced at the USF St. Petersburg campus.

Professor Cassander Smith discussing Briton Hammon's Narrative of the Uncommon Sufferings. Part of the Early Visions of Florida Series, hosted by Thomas Hall...

06/06/2022

Professor Kathryn Braund describes how William Bartram imagined the Seminoles' great "Alachua Savanna" (Paynes Prairie State Preserve) in the eighteenth century. Check out this short video, a master class in where history meets art. Or go to the Early Visions of Florida website (earlyfloridalit.net) to read Bartram's words.

Professor Kathryn H. Braund discussing William Bartram's Travels and illustrations of the Alachua Savannah. Part of the Early Visions of Florida Series, host...

06/03/2022

Early Visions of Florida YouTube channel, now live! Brilliantly produced by USFSP's Learning Innovation center, generously funded by Florida Humanities, these short videos feature leading scholars from across the nation and around the globe. Join us, as we dive into the strange and unknown world of early American literature!

Videos accompanying the Early Visions of Florida website (www.earlyflorida.net), an anthology of online readings about the colony from 1513 through the mid-n...

05/31/2022

Welcome to Early Visions of Florida. This online website, developed with students at University of South Florida, showcases writings from and about the region from 1513 through the mid-nineteenth century.