Even though for much of its early history Florida was not as developed as other states, it did have have some significant cities. Key West and St. Augustine were decently large towns in the 19th century. But the state could have easily produced a major port city if the US focused on it and the rest of the South to the same extent it focused on cities in the Northeast, Midwest, and West during the same time.
Florida is also interesting as a location in comparison to other states due to its proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean. If Miami, Tampa, and/or Jacksonville came on the scene earlier, who knows if one of them would have competed with New Orleans or even Philly and Boston during the times we were building the Panama Canal or establishing banana republics. Miami's current state as a global Latin city is due to its proximity to Havana. If the Latin American influence was present early on, it would have led to Florida being even more unique in the South. It probably would have changed everything.
__________________
Working towards making American cities walkable again!
|