The Earliest Natives in Florida

When people think of the earliest Indians in Florida, they typically think of the Seminoles. However, Europeans had arrived in Florida over 200 years prior before the Seminoles ever migrated to Florida from Georgia during the beginning of the 18th century.

So what exactly does it mean? It means that close to 12000 years ago, when Florida was much larger and drier, people arrived. They lived simple, yet meaningful lives, following herds of mammoths and collecting grains, seeds, and berries during the season.

Who Were the Calusa People?

During the 1500's, the Europeans had already assimilated many tribes and peoples into their own regional culture. However, there was groups living along the Caloosahatchie River and the coast, south of Tampa Bay, that became known as the Calusa, or Caloosa.

Interestingly enough, if we travel to Marco Island, you can see a long chain of shell islands built up and connected by canals. This was the site of a typical Calusa village. When the site was originally discovered, intricately decorated wooden masks were found along the water and in the village.

How did the Scientific Revolution Change the way Europeans Viewed The World?

In spite of all the advances in literacy, astrology, science, medicine, and thinking, the common European had no idea how to interpret new findings in the world of science. Furthermore, most of these citizens did not come close to the intellectual background as the greatest minds of their time. When the Scientific Revolution began to disprove past ideals and new ideas were shown to the masses, many experienced trepidation.

Despite the advances in science and efforts of the scientists of the sixteenth and seventeenth century to demonstrate that the world and the universe were governed by discernible laws, the Scientific Revolution had little impact on the everyday lives and thoughts of the mass of European citizens.


Even though there were breakthroughs made in astronomy and physics, most Europeans retained a belief in previous ideas about magic and astrology. German princes relied on court astrologers as advisers, and even Johannes Kepler sought to confirm the power of astrology with the results of his life's work, though he did not prove those findings.

Advances in medical theory proved that there were serious misconceptions about the human body, however many Europeans widely adhered to previous beliefs set forth by Galen. Galen's theory was that the human body contained four humors-blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm, and that if one of the four were present in too little or too great of an amount, illness would occur.

The most widely experienced theory of this practice was bloodletting, a long standing, accepted, practice employed in the homes of Europeans. Galen's hypothesis that the body had two blood systems and diseases could be cured by looking deeper into the four humors in the body proved to be erroneous, however Galen's principles were still strictly adhered to in medical schools.

Europeans had turned to the church for guidance, and so it seems, the church was able to tell people what to believe. When the discoveries of the Scientific Revolution overturned the tenets of the traditional belief system, they were gradually accepted by the general population of European society. Furthermore, they were often rejected by those that thought traditional beliefs were easier to understand. To put it plainly, Europeans did not want to complicate their lives by thinking outside the realm of what they had been taught in the church. The commoners had traditions of thinking and a belief system that made their living situation stable and their quality of life commonplace. The Scientific Revolution would prove that their goals or traditions were no longer valid, and this was something they didn't take lightly.

When Europeans experienced the events of the Scientific Revolution they looked upon it as a changing world, although not always open to the origins of those scientific changes. The Scientific Revolution became part of society without many people even noticing, however for those that did, it was a time of enlightenment.

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Monday Groundup: The Impact of the West During the Age of Exploration

During the Age of Exploration, Europe's nations sailed all over the world looking for resources in distant new lands. Spain and Portugal were followed by the Dutch, who by the 17th century built their empire as other colonial powers declined. However, it was the English colonizers who made the greatest impact on the new world, as well as the Africans, and the American natives.

When the Europeans discovered the new world, they brought with them an outpouring of commercial activity and a world market. The Dutch monopolized world trade, although they were still in competition with England and France.

Joint stock companies allowed individuals to trade shares and receive dividends on their investments, while a board of directors ran the company. In order to raise capital for international ventures, the Dutch East India Company opened the spice islands and Southeast Asia to the Dutch.

The implementation of the Bank in Amsterdam created a transfer and deposit system and exchange allowed for trading of stocks instead of goods. This new commercial system was not without its costs. With the new imports of European crops to the New World and the need for heavy slave labor to work plantations, the results were incalculable.

Africans and natives became susceptible to new diseases brought by the Europeans, causing an enormous loss of population and a savagery of sorts in the mist of the work force.



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Africans were shipped by boat to work sugar plantations, devastating coastal areas in Africa. The triangular trade connecting Europe, Africa, and the American continent was a major hub of slave trade. Plantations were setup in Brazil and the Caribbean for the growth of cane sugar which required heavy labor and skill.

The Africans were depopulated by the Europeans, depriving families of their children and their strongest workers. Since there was constant movement of slave trading, chiefs were able to attain weapons to partake in warfare against neighboring Europeans. Settlers would often succumb to brutal beatings, and this most often would lead to the slaughter of their entire families, even children.

Black African slaves were largely acceptable in western society, as many Europeans believed that these slaves were inferior beings fit for nothing more than manual labor.

Upon the arrival of Europeans, the native's civilization was virtually destroyed. The population in the New World was decimated by diseases imported from these explorers. Social and economic structures were dissolved and replaced by European institutions including religion, language, and culture.

Spanish and Portuguese settlers were known to partake in sexual activities with natives, but they did marry them as well. The mix of interracial relationships resulted in offspring known as mestizos.

The Age of Exploration changed the world, destroying ancient civilizations with the establishment of new colonies. Local societies and trade patterns were reconstructed to benefit increasing wealth between the New World and the Old World. The European vision was to transform the world in order to embody all aspects of European tradition, culture, and language. In turn, their efforts changed the face of the world.

Photo Credits: Age of Discovery

More Interesting Reading

Prior to age of exploration and discovery, Europeans had scant knowledge about the great globe on which they lived. China and Japan, which few European merchants traded, were like a far-off dreamed land. The Atlantic Ocean had no known boundary on the west, and Africa stretched on southward beyond all human knowledge.

Read more about "What Stimulated The European Explorations" By silverspoon