Amelia Island's splendor is only enhanced by the uniqueness of its history. Originally inhabited more than 4,000 years ago by the Timucuan Indians, the island is the only United States location to have been under eight different flags. The Timucuan Indians were noted for their stature, some measuring more than 6 feet tall to the tops of their elaborately crafted hairstyles, and their unusual custom of tattooing themselves with red, black, yellow, and blue. One can only imagine the astonishment on the faces of the French settlers when they first landed on Amelia Island in 1562. Huguenot leader Jean Ribault led the first recorded European expedition to the region. Seeking freedom for the persecuted Huguenots while extending the French empire, they arrived in May of 1562, resulting in the island being named "Isle de Mai" (Island of May). Though Ribault didn't remain, Ren้ de Laudonnier followed him in 1564. A permanent settlement called Fort Caroline was constructed near the mouth of the St. John's River.
However, in 1565, Spanish troops led by Pedro Menendez de Aviles brutally slaughtered these French settlers in order to regain territory claimed by Spain.The first Spanish reign was from 1565-1763. The Spanish constructed a mission, Santa Maria, near what is now known as Old Town in Fernandina, in order to convert natives to Christianity and protect Spain's hold on this new territory. The island then became known as "Isla de Santa Maria." It is at this point that the population of the Timucuans began to decline as a result of the influx of European diseases. This led to their near total extinction within 100 years of the first European contact.
The British, to the north, began to take an interest in the island's naturally deep harbor and strategic location on the international trade routes. It also served as a buffer to control Spain's encroachment on England's expanding empire. This is when the island attained its current name. In 1736, the British Governor of Georgia, James Oglethorpe, named the island in honor of Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II. Though the island was named Amelia, it didn't fall under complete British control until Spain traded it for Cuba in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Britain subsequently divided its acquisition into the 14th and 15th colonies of East Florida and West Florida.
During this period of British rule, the island may have been known as Egmont. The British Monarchy gave John Perceval, the Second Earl of Egmont, a vast land grant on the island. Although he never actually set foot on his holdings, he set up the plantation system under the oversight of Stephen Egan. The staple crop of this plantation was Indigo, used in the production of a "poor man's" royal blue dye, which was highly sought after by European consumers.
Amelia Island and Florida remained loyal to the crown during the American Revolution. However, revolutionary forces invaded the island in 1777 and 1778. After the Revolution, Britain ceded Florida back to Spain in the second Treaty of Paris. With the return of Spanish control, surveyor George J. F. Clarke platted the town of Fernandina, named in honor of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. It was the last Spanish town platted in the "New World." This document is in the permanent collection of the National Archives in Madrid, Spain.
In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed the Embargo Act, closing United States ports to foreign shipping. This made the border town of Fernandina a center for piracy. To control the cross border smuggling and violations of U.S law, President James Madison began to subvert Spanish control. Through intermediaries, he gained the support of Americans living in the area. On March 17, 1812, the "Patriots of Amelia Island", with a timely appearance of a U.S. flotilla, won control and raised their "Patriot" flag above Fernandina. The next day they ceded the island to the United States. Upon hearing of the exchange, Spain filed a protest. This forced the U. S. to relinquish control of the island in light of the impending conflict with Britain and the War of 1812. Despite the reacquisition, Spain failed to adequately govern the territory, allowing for continued lawlessness and violations of United States sovereignty. In 1817, a Scotsman named Sir Gregor Macgregor, with support from influential Americans, again ran the Spanish off the island and raised the "Green Cross of Florida" flag.
However, because of a lack of money and adequate reinforcements, he left his lieutenants in charge. They subsequently made a deal with a Frenchman, and privateer, Luis Aury, in order to garner and maintain control. Aury, in exchange for his support, demanded command of the island and raised the flag of the revolutionary Republic of Mexico, under whose sanction he was then acting.
The island entered a period of bedlam. The United States sent gunboats and Marines to take control, in trust for Spain. Spain decided to sell Florida to the United States in exchange for assuming the $5 million debt owed to U.S. citizens. Thus, on July 10, 1821, Florida became a United States territory.
Finally, rule and order came to the island. It became a new frontier for enterprising Americans to forge their way. One of these was a visionary politician and businessman, David Levy Yulee. He was key to securing Florida's statehood, becoming not only one of Florida's first U.S. Senators, but also the nation's first Jewish senator. Yulee is also the founding father of present day Fernandina Beach. Yulee created the Florida Railroad Company that built the first cross-Florida railroad, originating at the foot of Centre Street in Fernandina Beach and terminating in Cedar Key on Florida's Gulf Coast. The intention of this route was to expedite shipments to the nation's interior by alleviating the 1,000-mile voyage around Florida. However, as fate would have it, Yulee's railroad was completed in March of 1861, merely one month prior to the commencement of the Civil War.
With the onset of the war, the Confederate Flag was raised over nearby Fort Clinch. At this time, Confederate President Jefferson Davis sent his chief engineer, General Robert E. Lee, to inspect coastal fortifications. After two visits to Amelia Island, General Lee determined that the island was indefensible and recommended a Confederate withdrawal to the mainland. On March 3, 1862 a Union flotilla of 28 vessels headed toward the island, becoming the largest amphibious deployment of U. S. forces to that point. Union control remained throughout the remainder of the war. Following the war, many of the occupying soldiers returned with their families to build a new life for themselves on Amelia Island. On May 1, 1865, Fernandina Beach made history once again by holding the first southern election with white and black voters. Salmon P. Chase, a United States Supreme Court Justice, administered the oath of office to Mayor-elect Adolphos Mot.
This era gave way to the island's Golden Age. Between 1870 and 1910, many wealthy Americans made Fernandina their home, creating an elegant Victorian community that flourishes to this day. The boom was fueled by the shipping industry and tourists visiting from the Northeast, via steamboats, to enjoy the warm climate and luxurious hotels. Such notables as Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryant, the Carnegies, and Jose Marti were among the island's historic visitors.
In 1890, Standard Oil co-founder, Henry Flagler, extended his railroads, which lured tourist traffic to St. Augustine and points south. This resulted in a faltering local economy, until enterprising fishermen saw the potential for the shrimping industry. Rowboats and cast nets were replaced with power driven seines and otter trawls, giving birth, here on Amelia Island, to the modern shrimping industry. In the 1930's, an additional boost to the economy was provided when two pulp mills located here.
In the late 1930's, Chairman of the Board and President of the Afro-American Life Insurance Company, Abraham Lincoln Lewis, established American Beach. A half-mile stretch of beach located on the southern end of Amelia Island, it became a vacation retreat for prominent African Americans, with musicians like Ray Charles and Duke Ellington playing the local clubs. American Beach is the oldest continuously black-owned seacoast resort in the United States. It is the first East Coast stop on the Florida Black Heritage Trail. Amelia Island is also listed on the National Jewish Heritage Trail, and the 50-block downtown historic area has the honor of a listing on the National Register of Historic Places. As you can see, the area's history is extensive and varied, offering something of interest for everyone.
