Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era

Letter from Lisa Harrison of NewSouth Books:

I’m in touch to suggest that [you] extend a speaking invitation to Mike Bunn, author of Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era

In Fourteenth Colony, historian Bunn introduces readers to the British colony of West Florida, which incorporated portions of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana during the revolutionary period. The eventful years of the colony are an important and compelling interlude in Gulf Coast history that has been long overlooked. this political saga features a halting attempt at instituting a representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; struggle and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of battles on land and water. Publishers Weekly says, “Bunn combines deep scholarship with vivid storytelling in this comprehensive record of the period.” The Atlanta Constitution calls the book, “exhaustive, well-documented, a must-read.”

Mike Bunn is an author and historian who has worked with several cultural heritage organizations in the Southeast. He currently serves as director of Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama. He is author or co-author of several books, including Early Alabama: An Illustrated Guide to the Formative Years, 1798–1826; Alabama From Territory to Statehood: An Alabama Heritage Bicentennial Collection; Well Worth Stopping to See: Antebellum Columbus, Georgia Through the Eyes of Travelers; Civil War Eufaula; Battle for the Southern Frontier: The Creek War and War of 1812; and Images of America: The Lower Chattahoochee River. Mike is editor of Muscogiana, the journal of the Muscogee County Genealogical Society. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Alabama Historical Association, the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission.

Please let me know if you would like more information on Fourteenth Colony, or to invite Mike Bunn to give a presentation on the history of West Florida.

Thanks,
Lisa
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Lisa Harrison
Publicity Associate / NewSouth Books
105 S. Court St. Montgomery, AL 36104
334-834-3556 (office)www.newsouthbooks.com

Camp Helen State Park and Eden Gardens State Park

This presentation tells the story of two of the Panhandle’s outstanding State Parks, Camp Helen and Eden Gardens. Both have rich histories that are very different. The first hotel at what is now Camp Helen was built along the bluffs overlooking Lake Powell in the 1920s, and Camp Helen expanded between 1945 and 1987 as a recreation camp for employees of Avondale Textile Mills. The home at Eden Gardens was built in the 1890s as a private home, and the grounds also accommodated employee cottages for the lumbermill there. The home and gardens were purchased by a wealthy heiress in 1963 who renovated the building and grounds before donating the site to the State of Florida in 1968.

Scarlett A. Dunn
Park Services Specialist
Camp Helen / Eden Gardens State Park
Scarlett.A.Dunn@dep.state.fl.us
850-267-8322

Unearthing Florida

With close to 500 years of European history and more than 10,000 years of Native American history, Florida is host to an array of archaeological sites on land and underwater. In this presentation, the author of the Unearthing Florida radio program will highlight eight different archaeological sites across the state from prehistoric times to the Civil War. We will learn about the history and archaeological investigations of these sites, some of the high-tech tools archaeologists used there, the artifacts they uncovered, and why the sites are important cultural resources on this statewide journey!

Presented by:
The Staff of the Northwest Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/nwrc/presentations.php

Pirates! The Last Scourge of the Gulf

Two centuries ago, a massive wave of piracy struck the Gulf of Mexico and terrorized shipping along the Gulf coast. Florida was especially dangerous for travelers. Jean Lafitte and Charles Gibbs, two of the most notorious pirates from this period, had close ties to the Florida panhandle. One case of piracy even wound up in the court of West Florida in Pensacola and made newspaper headlines across the nation. This talk examines some of the broader aspects of piracy during the early 1800s in the Gulf and Caribbean. It also focuses on the current archaeological evidence for possible pirate ships from this period that wrecked beneath the waters of the Gulf.

Presented by:
The Staff of the Northwest Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/nwrc/presentations.php

Mosquitos, Muggles, and Museums: Exploring Florida’s Archaeology with Geocaching

Are you ready to get outside and explore Northwest Florida’s archaeology and history? Forget your fedoras and bullwhips; pick up a GPS device and go geocaching! Geocaching is a worldwide scavenger hunt game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called caches, using GPS devices and share their experiences online. FPAN recently created a series of geocaches hidden at historic and archaeological sites across northwest Florida to increase awareness that these places are out there and they are open for you to visit. This presentation describes how geocaching works, what you need to play, and a unique geocaching adventure created by FPAN that will take you back in time through northwest Florida’s history and archaeology.

Presented by:
The Staff of the Northwest Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/nwrc/presentations.php

Talking Smack: The Sailing Vessels of Pensacola’s Red Snapper Fishing Industry

After the end of the American Civil War, industry in Pensacola and Northwest Florida boomed as money flowed from the North to the South. Among the various industrial endeavors in the Pensacola area, commercial fishing for red snapper became one of the most successful. From 1870-1930, the colorful fishermen and beautiful sailing vessels of the red snapper fishing industry dominated the city’s waterfront. This presentation discusses the importance of red snapper fishing to the development of Pensacola and Northwest Florida, in addition to why the industry began and ended so quickly.

Presented by:
The Staff of the Northwest Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/nwrc/presentations.php

Tombstone Tales: Cemeteries, Symbols, and Stories

Historic cemeteries are amazing outdoor museums containing vast amounts of information on markers and tombstones that can be “read” like historic documents. This presentation describes the development of the modern cemetery, the kinds of information that can be learned from inscriptions and symbols on markers, the laws protecting historic cemeteries in Florida, and ways to protect them for the future.

Presented by:
The Staff of the Northwest Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/nwrc/presentations.php

The Turpentine Industry in North Florida

This presentation discusses the turpentine and naval store industry in Florida and the impacts it had on the economy, industry, and the state’s history. This presentation is geared towards adults and can be modified to reflect the local history of any region in Florida.

Presented by:
The Staff of the North Central Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/ncrc/presentations.php

Native People, Native Plants

This presentation discusses how plants have been used as medicine and food in Florida by prehistoric people and early settlers in Florida. This presentation was developed for Florida Archaeology Month 2011, but it continues to be relevant and of interest to the public.

Presented by:
The Staff of the North Central Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/ncrc/presentations.php

Spanish Florida

A brief overview of the Spanish in Florida, including the Spanish Missions, focusing on Mission San Luis and the Apalachee. The presentation ends with a discussion on how the Spanish have had a lasting influence on Florida’s heritage. This presentation can be altered to cater to any age group (adult or children).

Presented by:
The Staff of the North Central Region
Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN)
Submit a Speaker Request Form:
http://fpan.us/ncrc/presentations.php