Florida in the Spanish-American War

by Joe Knetsch

Florida began as a Spanish colony, with governing headquarters in Havana, Cuba. It is fitting, then, that the state played such a large role in the Spanish-American War. As a base of training and combat operations, Florida's involvement was crucial to the war effort. Join trusted historians Joe Knetsch and Nick Wynne as they log a fascinating chapter in Florida's history--a time when Roosevelt's Rough Riders prepared for battle at Tampa bases, when battleships departed from south Florida ports to avenge the sunken USS Maine and when a nation looked to the Sunshine State to help unite America around a common cause, even as the nation still struggled to come to terms with the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Genres: History

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2011

Reviews

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another short history of a particular part of Florida history, in this case the Spanish-American War of 1898 in which the state served as the primary staging point for operations. The first third of the book covers conditions in Florida, including Florida's pre-war interest in Cuba such as immigrants, filibustering, and how the revolutions in Cuba were covered by the Florida media. The next two chapters cover Navy and Army policy and activity leading up to the war. While they help give context and do in some cases deal directly with Florida (ex: the Endicott System of new fortifications) these two chapters mostly feel tangential. The rest of the book is mostly more focused, with soldiers arriving in Florida and dealing with the climate, segregation, and other conditions. Many nice photos throughout.

A few subjects that I found noticeably absent: the USS Oregon's arrival at Jupiter after its famous journey around South America and the activity of the Coast Signal Service. Home Guard units are only mentioned briefly and specifically in regards to Miami. As with most History Press books there are no Citations and no Index, although there is a Bibliographic Essay.

This probably shouldn't be anyone's first book related to the Spanish-American War, but if you're interested in Florida history it's worth reading.