History of Miami, FL
Spain was the first country to claim ownership of southern Florida. The discoverer Pedro Menedez de Aviles landed in 1566 and started to build a mission for his people to come and settle. Some people came to the settlement but mostly people stopped between travels to look for new land. Since it is a coastal area and storms can brew fast, there were many shipwrecks. For the next couple hundred years, people began looking for lost treasure in south Florida. Seminole Indians and runaway slaves from northern territories moved as far south as they could and landed near Miami. There were skirmishes between tribes and battles over land, but not much major development of the marshy lands and area between northern Florida and south Florida. It wouldn't become an official city until many years later, when the wealthy widow by the name of Julia Tuttle bought and settled on 640 acres. Once she and her influence moved to town, she convinced a railroad owner to continue the rail south so she would have better access to products and things she wanted from the north. After the railroad had tracks down to Miami, then hotels and developments began to spring up quickly. In 1896, Miami was officially incorporated as a city with a population of just 300 men and women. The population grew until the 1920s, when a couple things happened to stall its growth. There was the Great Depression, which prevented people from moving south. There was also the 1926 hurricane that did lots of damage to the existing structures, preventing few jobs and businesses from growing because they had to repair first. Once they recovered from the hurricane, industry stepped up for them in several forms. Tourism was advertised through Pan Am airlines for the wealthy of the north to the Keys and Miami in the south. People who still had wealth enjoyed traveling and spent their dollars in resorts and restaurants of Miami and southern cities even as the Depression ended and World War II started. It also became an airline hub for southern cities in South American and Latin American countries. Once the war ended, people headed south to live in a warm climate. Unfortunately, Miami also became known as a port for drugs from South American countries. Heroin, cocaine and other drugs became popular in the 1960s and was entered in to the US through ports in Miami. Much improvement was made during this time as to discovering drugs and monitoring shipments. The government still carefully monitors imports to the docks of the shipping yards in Miami for drugs and illegal items from foreign countries. The war on drugs continues on in Miami. The population really grew in the 1960s after Castro took control of Cuba and Cubans migrated to Miami by the thousands. Miami was culturally diverse, with people from all walks of living calling the city home. Miami continues to thrive in its warm climate and cater to both the rich and the affluent. There are many night clubs, resorts, restaurants and shopping choices for people in Miami. Due to its tropical climate, it also makes it a vacation destination for people around the world.
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