Discussions of the Deep South often ignore Florida and neglect to note the complexities of race relations throughout the state's history. Central Florida particularly has been overlooked and historians have yet to establish firmly the history of mid-twentieth century race relations in the region. Since there are few existing written accounts of the civil rights movement in Central Florida, this study attempts to contribute to the scholarly discourse about race in the region by investigating the desegregation of Orange County public schools. The bulk of this study is devoted to the 1962 case Ellis v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange County, Florida and how the case eventually desegregated the county's schools. The desegregation process was a long and arduous effort, but progress continued steadily and ten years after the suit was initiated, the county's school system bore little resemblance to the rigidly operated dual system of just one decade prior. This thesis sheds light on a previously overlooked segment of Central Florida's history and demonstrates why the untold story of Orange County's school desegregation effort is an important part of America's nationwide civil rights movement.

The majority of the study of the Ku Klux Klan tends to focus on regions considered to be a part of the "Deep South". Traditionally, Florida is not considered to be a part of this region because of its reputation as a tropical, tourist destination. However, Florida shares many commonalities with the "Deep South" states; including the long established presence of the Ku Klux Klan within its borders. However, little is known about the full extent of Klan activity in Florida due to the secrecy of the organization. Nevertheless, the few documents that do exist concerning the Ku Klux Klan in Florida confirm that the organization was a prevalent force in the state's history. This study explores the Ku Klux Klan and their policing of the white community in Orange County, Florida post World War II The Ku Klux Klan is commonly known as a white supremacist organization that primarily targets non-white victims. However, the Ku Klux Klan also regulated Euro-Americans in Orange County based on principals of religion and morality. The history of the Ku Klux Klan explains why the organization targeted certain groups within society. The majority of the official records concerning the Klan's regulation of the white community in Orange County are limited to the FBI investigation of the death of Harry T. Moore in 1951. It is important to understand that the Ku Klux Klan is an integral part in the history of Central Florida despite the fact that Florida is not considered to be a part of the "Deep South". The presence of the Ku Klux Klan affected all members of the community. Realizing the role of the Ku Klux Klan in Central Florida post World War II helps to better understand that Florida, at one time, was a part of the ''Deep South".

As the Civil War closed and Reconstruction began, a small army of teachers arrived in Florida. Under the auspices of northern aid societies, churches, and educational associations, they proposed to educate the newly emancipated slaves, believing that education would prepare African Americans for citizenship. Teachers found Florida's freedmen determined to acquire literacy by whatever means they could, but they faced a white populace resistant to outsiders. Reformers, politicians, literate blacks, and Yankee businessmen intent on socially, politically, and economically transforming Florida joined educators in reconstructing Florida. Florida's educational system transformed during Reconstruction, and an examination of the reciprocity between Reconstruction-era teachers and Florida's freedmen provides a window into how Florida's learning community changed. Teachers exerted a profound influence on Florida's freedmen and on the development of Florida's educational system. But it was not simply a matter of outsiders transforming freedmen. While previous writers have emphasized the teachers' limitations, conservatism, or sacrifice, this study examines the complex interplay, and at times mutual dependence, between northern reformers and freedmen. Teachers partnered with Florida's black community, which was determined to seize education by whatever means available; they joined with the state's white community, struggling to come to terms with radical social changes; and they worked with Yankee strangers, who saw education of freedmen as an opportunity to transform the state politically. The reciprocal process of social change created a new politically charged educational system in Florida.

This study demonstrates that both government officials‟ and the settlers‟ perceptions of the Seminoles and Black Seminoles in Florida were highly influenced by their paternalistic and Jeffersonian world views. These perceptions also informed their policies concerning the Seminoles and Black Seminoles. The study is separated into three sections. The first chapter covers the years of 1820-1823. This section argues that until 1823, most settlers and government officials viewed the Seminoles as noble savages that were dependent on the U.S. Furthermore, most of these individuals saw the Black Seminoles as being secure among the Seminole Indians and as no threat to white authority. The second chapter covers the years of 1823-1828 and demonstrates that during this time most settlers began to view Seminoles outside of the reservation as threats to the frontier in Florida. This reflected the Jeffersonian world view of the settlers. Government officials, on the contrary, continued to believe that the Seminole Indians were noble savages that were no threat to the frontier because of their paternal world view. Both groups by 1828 wanted the Seminoles and Black Seminoles separated. The final chapter covers the years of 1829-1836. It argues that by 1835 both settlers and government officials believed that the Seminoles and Black Seminoles were clear threats to the frontier because of the fear of a slave revolt and the beginning of Seminole resistance to removal. Most of the shifts in the perception of the Seminoles and Black Seminoles by government officials and the settlers were the result of their white gender and racial world views that then in turn affected their policies towards the Seminoles and Black Seminoles

This study investigates the life of Steve Blackwell (1947-2006), a Florida folk singer/songwriter from Punta Gorda, FL, located where the Peace River meets the Gulf of Mexico. The study examines his biographical history, his performance career, musical output, and the impact he and his music had on the surrounding community. The first part of the study documents Blackwell's history and the major events that shaped his life while, at the same time, describing what kind of person Steve Blackwell was. The second part of the study examines Blackwell's career as a musical performer, the bands he played with, how those bands came to be or changed over time, what types of music they performed, and any albums he recorded. The third part of the paper looks at Blackwell as a songwriter. How Blackwell decided on his lyrical topics, his musical style, and compositional process are discussed. The final part of the study examines the impact of Blackwell and his music. Consideration is given to Steve Blackwell's closest social networks, as well as to the social implications he, his music, and his networking had on his local community. Research for this study was done through immersion mixed with a close study of Steve Blackwell's personal documents. A number of personal interviews and correspondences were conducted with Steve Blackwell's family, friends, former band members, and a number of other unrelated patrons. Primary sources for this study include a number of Blackwell's own documents, such as his letters, journal entries, sketches, working copies of songs, and recording sessions, etc., which were made available with the gracious permission of the Blackwell family. Few secondary sources were found, save for a few magazine and newspaper articles. After these materials were gathered, a portrait of Steve Blackwell emerged. Evidence was found that supports the idea that Steve Blackwell's music was not stylistically unique, although competently made and enjoyed by a wide audience. Nevertheless, he was special for the community by what he was able to accomplish through his music and extroverted personality. This is not a definitive summation of Steve Blackwell's life, but rather a starting point for any further research on Blackwell or any research in the significance of local musicians for social communities.

After the Seven Year's War, the British government decided to keep a large military force in North America. To coordinate these forces, the Crown decided to continue the office of Commander in Chief. The Commander in Chief had broad authority over the military in the American colonies. This authority, however, conflicted sharply with similar prerogatives granted to royal governors. With neither side willing to surrender any of their power or authority, a series of battles broke out over the supremacy of the army in almost every colony where royal troops were stationed. West Florida, a British colony established after the Seven Years War from captured French and Spanish Territory, provides an excellent example of how the civil-military conflicts could cripple royal government in a colony. Many historians have failed to assess adequately the impact these disputes had on colonial government in America. The purpose of this thesis is to show that the civil-military disputes disrupted colonial governments, and was one of the forces that led to the breakdown of British rule in North America during the 1760’s and 1770’s. / M.A.

This thesis examines three groups of northern Methodists who made their way to north Florida during Reconstruction: northern white male Methodists, northern white female Methodists, and northern black male and female Methodists. It analyzes the ways in which these men and women confronted the differences they encountered in Florida‟s southern society as compared to their experiences living in a northern society. School catalogs, school reports, letters, and newspapers highlight the ways in which these northerners explained the culture and behaviors of southern freedmen and poor whites in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Monticello. This study examines how these particular northern men and women present in Florida during Reconstruction applied elements of “the North” to their interactions with the freedmen and poor whites. Ultimately, it sheds light on northern Methodist middle class values in southern society

At the dawn of a new presidential election, we are reminded that what separates the United States from the rest of the world are the immigrants who came here in the pursuit of the American Dream. These immigrants do not just come to the United States as workers, but also as consumers and entrepreneurs who contribute to the American economy, and use the profits created by their successful entrepreneurship(s) in a way that they become catalysts of change. None of the studies have managed to track the qualities and perceptions of these entrepreneurial immigrants turned philanthropists since the 1940’s. By focusing on their life experiences using an instrumental case study approach, we start to form the profile of the modern day immigrant entrepreneur and philanthropist by analyzing them through five lenses: immigration, adult education, entrepreneurship, leadership, and philanthropy. Using these five lenses, we can better understand the optative aspects of entrepreneurial immigrantship as a part of social impact on Florida’s Gold Coast. Their core family values of tithing and lending a helping hand to those in need transfer into social activism in terms of donations of wealth and donations of time. Although they do not consider themselves leaders in the communities they live and work in, the research findings are quite the opposite. They are socially involved through memberships and leadership positions on local, national, and international non- profit boards, they spearhead major fundraising events and initiatives, and they establish private or corporate foundations and even support candidates seeking political office, whether here or abroad. In essence, they became philanthropists and community activists, who by virtue of immigrating and opening their businesses here add value to Florida’s Gold Coast. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Cemeteries are microcosms of society bound together in sacred spaces. As manifestations of social mores, cemeteries allow anthropologists to obtain information on social development and structure. Where noninvasive study is mandated, crucial methods of interpretation include studies of landscape design, floral incorporation, grave marker design and development, and grave mementos. This thesis discusses these and other methods as they are used to infer group mores. It also indicates how information acquired from methods can be adversely affected by outside influences, such as vandalism, weathering, and replotting. This thesis adds to known methods of cemetery research another unbiased, noninvasive tool that is the analyses of public cemetery sales records of a known society's municipal cemetery, Greenwood Cemetery of Orlando, Florida. Greenwood Cemetery opened at approximately the same time as the founding of its host city, Orlando, Florida. All burial and plot ownership, regardless of the social status of the owner, are publicly accessible in accordance with the requirements of the Florida Sunshine law. As the city and the cemetery followed parallel development, socioeconomic trends affected the city and the cemetery in a similar manner. Using public records dating from 1890 to 2010, a random survey was conducted that acquired sale dates, death dates, prices, numbers of plots purchased, and types of plots purchased. Using SPSS, the acquired information was statistically analyzed for correlations to known historic moments such as The Great Depression and the Florida Land Boom. Comparisons of data revealed fluctuations in the time between purchase and death: a decreasing length of time, an increasing length of time, and a repeated decreasing of time. The survey of the prices of plots revealed a positive correlation over time, indicating uniformity. A strong shift from the purchase of full body plots to cremation plots over time was evident, which was interpreted as a reflection of a shift in religious and social mores. Additionally, the study showed a significant increase in the percentage of purchased plots used. An ANOVA reveals that replotting is not significant enough to affect interpretation of cultural mores manifested in landscape design and spatial usage. While the results lend themselves to more questions and study, the analyses of cemetery sale records demonstrates its vitality as an unbiased, noninvasive, publicly accessible instrument. The analyses of sales records will also enable cross cultural comparisons.

Reacting to an impression that history is not viewed as significant as other curricular subjects such as reading, math, or science, there were multiple purposes for this research: first, to document the attitudes of the fourth grade teachers in one county in Florida towards the subject of Florida history. The teachers' perceptions of the importance of the topic to and for the students, to the administration, and to them personally was surveyed in addition to the perceived preparation of the teachers to teach Florida History. The second purpose was to ascertain the perception of fourth grade teachers regarding preference and efficacy of their methods; third, to discern the teachers' views as to the effectiveness and value of the available materials; fourth, to determine the amount of instructional time devoted to the teaching of Florida History; and fifth, to discover if there is any correlation between teacher attitudes toward Florida History and the methods and materials that they use to teach the subject. Eighty-eight of the 210 fourth grade teachers employed in the county during the research interval responded to a survey that was part Likert scale and part fill-in. The results of this research were in agreement with the premise that teachers perceive themselves as unprepared to teach history; however, the teachers of this county thought that Florida History was important to and for their students, the administration and them personally. Although the teachers advocated the use of constructivist approaches to teaching Florida History such as cooperative learning, student projects, and role-playing, the majority of the teachers utilized lecture as their predominant instructional method due to insufficient classroom instructional time (only one in five teachers included Florida History in the daily schedule). The textbook was the leading material of choice overwhelming tradebooks, computer software, and videos. Although there was a relationship discovered between the teachers' attitudes and the methods they espoused, there was no relationship between the teachers' attitudes and the materials they employed to teach Florida History.