Estero island Historic Society to hold discussion on post-Civil War era in Florida
Did you know that over 61,000 freed slaves lived in Florida at the end of the Civil War? How were they assimilated into the economy and society? What role did coastal Southwest Florida play?
Join multi-award-winning author and internationally acclaimed lecturer Robert N. Macomber to learn about what happened to the 61,745 slaves in Florida at the end of the Civil War.
You’ll hear about tremendous efforts by U.S. Army officers, church missionaries, and volunteer doctors to assimilate former slaves into society as productive citizens. You’ll learn about what worked and what didn’t, the special fact-finding mission to our coastal area of Southwest Florida, how some Floridians tried to thwart the effort, and the legacies of that turbulent time which echoed into the 1960s. This is a little-known but very important part of Florida’s fascinating history.
Robert N. Macomber is a multi-award winning author, internationally acclaimed lecturer, former Dept. of Defense consultant, commentator for TV and film, adventurous expedition leader, and an accomplished seaman. He was named “2020 Florida Writer of the Year” by the Florida Writers Association.