Course Reflection

So, I took time to reflect on the materials that were used in this course, the methodology that this course required, and the people I studied along the way during this course. First, Florida was home to the Calusa tribe who came here to conquer and prosper. The word "Calusa" meant strong and fierce people and these people were masters at archery and poison. These people wouldn't leave Florida and didn't give up Florida without a fight, killing Ponce De Leon. Florida's history consisted of not only tribal people but also cracker cowboys, the Seminoles, different Spanish's forts and missions, civil war stories, and WWII stories that all affected Florida's history to what it is today. People like William Bartram, Ponce de Leon, and a Greek man who transformed Tarpons Springs into a tourist attraction. Different tourist attractions developed Florida to be what it is today just like Disney or Ripley's believe it or not or even Gatorland. Some things to really think about is the dynamics of different races, genders, and classes of people who lived in Florida from the past. Like we talked about the Calusa tribe, the cracker cowboys; who we come to find out some were extremally rich off the business' of sell and farming cows, and even the Greek people who kind of made Tarpon Springs a little Greece. Get ready to dive into reading Florida's history at museums and develop an understanding on how people used to live here, why Florida is so important, and what really makes Florida what it is today. Learn how the people made money, develop relationships, and understand what methods they used to survive. In the book, "A Land Remembered", you can dive into a live which sets in the mid-19th century, and shows you this family that is struggling to survive in the harsh environments of Florida's wilderness. Learn how to blog about experiences these people had, not only in the books you will read, but about the material you will learn by going to museums that will teach you and make you understand how hard it really was to be a Floridan. There were some true heroes that you will learn and read about in this course that will help understand why Florida was so important in the mid 19th century and not only then, even during WWII and the Civil War. Overall, Florida has become a completely new place that I can be proud of to call home, with help of the museums and books we read in this course.