Abstract
In the years following the Civil War Americans in increasing numbers were becoming interested in Florida as a winter resort, a refuge for the infirm, and a frontier of opportunity. A brisk demand developed for accurate information about the state, which was romantically envisioned as the "Italy of America" or disparaged as a wilderness of swamp and everglades. To satisfy the market for knowledge about Florida a considerable quantity of newspaper stories, magazine articles, and tourist guide books were produced. Harriet Beecher Stowe, a pioneer in promoting Florida, sent out a series of articles from her winter retreat at Mandarin which were collected in the book Palmetto Leaves (Boston, 1873). Sidney Lanier painted a lyrical portrait of the land of flowers in his Florida: Its Scenery, Climate, and History (Philadelphia, 1875).
Recommended Citation
Graham, Thomas S.
(1972)
"Who Wrote "Barbour's Florida"?,"
Florida Historical Quarterly: Vol. 51:
No.
4, Article 7.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol51/iss4/7
