The National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places, Archeology Program and Submerged Resources Center in partnership with the Florida Division of Historical Resources, Underwater Archaeological Section of the Bureau of Archaeological Research and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers invite you to explore Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History. This travel itinerary highlights 13 historic shipwrecks listed in the National Register of Historic Places that are accessible to divers and reveal the wonders and mysteries of Florida's maritime past.
The waters around Florida have been swarming with ships for more than 6,000 years. American Indians used dugout canoes to travel up and down Florida's rivers and around the coast. When the Spanish first explored and later colonized Cuba and the Florida Panhandle, their wooden-hulled sailing ships were common sights in Florida's waters. Until the advent of railroads on the Florida Peninsula, ships and boats were vital to the development of the region as they were the most efficient means of transporting goods and passengers. Ever since the earliest European contact with the American continents, Florida has been a converging point for maritime trade routes connecting Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Central and South America and the Gulf of Mexico. Traversing Florida's waters could be hazardous; the water currents, offshore geography and geological hazards, including the Florida Reef and the Gulf Stream, traversed with narrow, shallow channels, are compounded by powerful hurricanes, and have caused many ships to founder and wreck. Not surprisingly, there are a large number of shipwrecks in the seas surrounding Florida. These vessels are time capsules from an earlier age and contain a wealth of information on the history of commerce and transport in Florida and the greater Caribbean area.
Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History offers several ways to discover the places that reflect this significant aspect of Florida's maritime history. Each highlighted shipwreck features a brief description of the wreck's historic significance, color photographs and public accessibility information. At the bottom of each page the visitor will find links to three essays: Florida Maritime History, Partners in Preservation and Why Preserve Shipwrecks. These essays provide historic background, or "contexts," for the places included in the itinerary. In the Learn More section, the itinerary links to regional and local websites that provide visitors with further information regarding cultural events, special activities, and lodging and dining possibilities. Visitors may be interested in Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, located in Florida. The itinerary can be viewed online, or printed out if you plan to visit Florida in person.
Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History is part of the Department of the Interior's strategy to promote public awareness of history and encourage visits to historic places throughout the Nation. The National Register of Historic Places partners with communities, regions and heritage areas throughout the United States to create online travel itineraries. Using places nominated by State, Federal and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the itineraries help potential visitors plan trips by highlighting the amazing diversity of this country's historic places and providing public accessibility information for each featured site. Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History is the 38th National Register travel itinerary in this ongoing series. The National Register of Historic Places hopes you enjoy this virtual tour of Florida Shipwrecks. If you have any comments or questions, please just click on the provided e-mail address, "comments or questions" located at the bottom of each page. |
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