For every city in the world, there’s a unique historic tapestry that tells us how and why that city became what it is today.
Jacksonville’s over-200-year history features a number of events that have, in some way, determined the course that the city would take moving forward. Some had small impacts, while others have completely changed life in Jax.
Here’s a list of events that helped to shape what Jacksonville is today.
This first one is pretty obvious.
In the 1820s, a group of Floridians came together to develop a town government to be submitted to the state legislative council. The group was led by Isaiah Hart, who is now widely recognized as the city’s founder.
In 1832, the city of Jacksonville officially came into existence, named in honor of Andrew Jackson.
The city’s land had bounced around between French, Spanish, and British control for centuries. The founding of Jacksonville brought a consistent government and community to the area for arguably the first time since the original native tribes inhabited the land.