ABSTRACT
Florida was first described as an awesome subtropical paradise as early as the eighteenth century. Development in Florida has proceeded from the beginning of statehood under an umbrella of political culture that can best be described as a mix of southern traditionalism and frontier individualism, as alluded to earlier by Stephen Mallory. The federal land grants to the state included considerable areas of submerged or “sovereignty” lands. Such lands are held in trust for the people by the sovereign or government with title to them automatically vested in the state once statehood was attained. While there was abundant, naturally well-drained land to support Florida’s 87,500 residents in 1850, state officials were at that time contemplating draining the Everglades for agricultural purposes. Florida’s lavish land grants provided incentive for holders of investment capital to put their money into the construction and expansion of the state’s railroad system.
