Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/153

 FLORIDA

117

FLORIDA

Florida was admitted to Statehood in 1845. The State seceded from the Union 10 January, 1861. In 1862 niiuorciigagements between the Federal and Oon- federate forces took place ; the Federal troops occupied Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Feriiandina, but the Confederates, under General Finegan, gained a decisive victory over the Union forces commanded by General Seymour at Olustee in 1864. In proportion to popula- tion Florida furnished more troops than any other Confederate State; they took an honourable part in the campaigns of Tennessee and Virginia, and bore a distinguished reputation for steadfast endurance on the march and conspicuous gallantry on the battle- field. Florida gave to the higher ranks of the Confed- erate service three major-generals, Loring, Anderson, and Smith, and the Brigadier-Generals Brevard, Bul- lock, Finegan, Miller, Davis, Finley, Perry, and Shoup. The State was represented in the Confederate Cabinet by Stephen H. Mallory, Secretary of the Navy. If the war proved disastrous to Florida, the subsequent re- construction added despair to disaster when citizens witnessed the control of public affairs pass into the hands of unscrupulous adventurers. The ordinance of secession was repealed in October, 1865, and a State government organized in 1866. In 1S68 a new constitution having been adopted and the Fourteenth Amendment ratified, Florida was readmitted into the Union, but it was not till 1877, when Floridians ob- tained political ascendancy, that a healthy industrial growth as well as social and educational progress be- gan to appear. The present constitution was adopted in 1886. The discovery of rich phosphate deposits in 1889 greatly improved economic conditions, and the constantly growing popularity of Eastern Florida — the American Riviera — as a winter resort contributes to the general prosperity.

Population. — The colony of 600 Spaniards founded by Menendez at St. Augustme in 1565 was the earli- est permanent white settlement within the present limits of the United States. Relinquishing fruit- less attempts to establish extensive settlements, Flori- da's Spanish conquerors early subordinated purposes of colonization to motives of military expediency, so that during an occupation of two hundred years the white population remained limited to a few stations of strategic importance. In 1648 the civilian population of St. Augustine was represented by 300 families, and in 1740, nearly a hundred years later, it numbered 214.3. The various Spanish garrisons usually aggre- gated about 2000 men. In 1763, when Florida passed under English rule, the entire Spanish population of 5700 moved away. During the twenty years of Eng- lish occupancy there was a steady influx of settlers, including numbers of loyalists from the revolted col- onies. At this period the so-called Minorcan colony was founded at New SmjTna. During the second Spanish regime (1783-1821) immigration continued and, when Florida came under the United States flag in 1821, increased rapidly. The first U. S. census of 1830 gives the population at 34,730. For the thirty years following a decennial increase of 60 per cent ap- pears, the population in 1860 being 140,424. Since 1860 the increase per decade has averaged 40 per cent. In 1900 the population was 528,542, and in 1905, 614,- 845, nearly 18 times that of 1830, showing in five years an increase of 86,303, or 16 per cent. In 1900 whites mmibered 297,812, coloured 230,730, average number of inhabitants per square mile 9.7. Follow- ing are detailed statistics of 1908 (State census) : white, .348,923; coloured, 205,737; other races, 185; average per square mile, 11.3. Foreign born white, 22,409, comprising 5867 Cubans, 3120 Italians, 2589 West In- dians, 2051 English, 1945 Spanish, 1699 Germans, 1059 Canadians, 610 Irish, and 3469 of other national- ities. The Cuban population is concentrated mainly at Tampa and Key West, Spanish and Italian at Tampa, West Indian of both races at Key West; the other

nationalities are scattered broadly over the State. Nine counties exhibit a slightly decreased population attributed to a shifting of negroes from the farms. In twelve counties negroes outnumber whites. Leon comity has the largest percentage of coloured people, 14,880 out of 18,883 total, or 78.8 per cent; Lee county the smallest, 399 out of 3961 total, or 10 per cent. Leon has 25.8 inhabitants per square mile, Lee only 0.8 ; these figures are typical of racial distri- bution of population throughout the State. Cities over 10,000: Jacksonville 35,301, Tampa (estimated) 28,000, Pensacola 21,505; and Key West 20,498.

Education. — The organization of the Florida Edu- cational Society in 1831 was apparently the first at- tempt made to inaugurate a public school system. It resulted in the establishment of a free school at St. Augustine in 1832. During the ante-bellum period, owing to general lack of interest, inefficiency of educa- tional legislation, and the prejudice that regarded pub- lic schools as "pauper" schools, but little was accom- plished for the cause of popular education. In 1860 a few counties had organized public school systems, but the advent of war, and particularly the subsei(uent dismal process of reconstruction proved a serious blow to educational progress. The constitutional conven- tion of 1865 gave the subject scant recognition, but that of 1868 adopted in its constitution liberal provi- sions, which were greatly amplified by the constitution of 1885. This constitution established a permanent State school fund, consisting mainly of proceeds of public land sales, State appropriations, and a one-mill property tax, the interest of which was to be applied to support public schools. This fund (1908) exceeds one million dollars. Each county constitutes a school unit (but when advisable special school districts may be formed) and is authorized to levy a school tax of from 3 to 7 mills. Poll-tax proceeds also revert to the county school fund. The governor, secretary of state, attorney-general. State treasurer, and State superin- tendent of public instruction form the State Board of Education. County boards consist of a county super- intendent and three commissioners. There are twelve grades or years of instruction, eight months constitut- ing a school year. The school a^e is six to twenty-one years. The constitution prescribes that "white and coloured children shall not be taught in the same school, but impartial provision shall be made for both". Statistics from latest biennial report (1906) of state superintendent show: total public schools, 2387; white 1720; coloured 667; enrolment: white 81,473, or 66 per cent of school population, coloured 48,992, or 52 per cent of school population ; total expenditure for school year ending June, 1906, .?1, 020,674.95 for white schools, $200,752.27 for coloured schools. There are 2495 white and 794 coloured teachers. The report observes that while rapid progress has been ac- complished along educational lines, a comparison with more advanced States shows that in Florida popular education of the masses is yet in its initial stage. " One of the greatest hindrances to educational prog- ress at the present time is the scarcity, not only of pro- fessionally trained teachers, but teachers of any kind." This scarcity is ascribed to the inadequate remunera- tion teachers receive.

The system of higher education fostered by the State was reorganized by legislative act of 1905. Sev- eral existing institutions were abolished, and in their stead were established a State university for men, a State college for women, and a coloured normal and industrial school in which co-education prevails. These higher educational institutions receive generous support. State appropriations in 1907 amounted to $600,000, while annual subventions from the federal treasury aggregate about $60,000. The University of the State of Florida, Gainsville, includes a normal department, also a United States Agricultural Experi- ment Station, under a separate managerial staff. The