American Period

American Period. . Raising the United States flag over Pensacola ended Spain's control of Florida. Through time, many buildings rose and fell over the colonial remains of Pensacola's past. By the time Florida became a state in 1845, Pensacola's harbor was vital. Confederate soldiers seized the Navy Yard when Florida seceded at the start of the Civil War in 1861. Most citizens abandoned Pensacola in 1862 when the Confederate military was reassigned elsewhere. Union forces occupied Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island throughout the war., Following the end of the Civil War, Florida was readmitted into the Union and the city began to grow and prosper. Lumber, brick, and fishing industries exploded. Waterfront merchants shipped these Pensacola products around the world. People from all over were drawn here and the area became a microcosm of the American "melting pot." , A Masonic Lodge was built on this site in the late 19th century; its brick foundation is outlined in green. In the early 20th century, the structure was used as a firehouse. The floor protected the archaeological remains of hundreds of years of Native American, European, and African colonial history., 1909 image of horse-drawn engine #2 at the firehouse behind City Hall, present day T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum. Image courtesy of the UWF Historic Trust., UWF archaeologists uncovered this U.S. Corps of Artillery brass button during excavations. This button dates from 1814-1821, and probably came from one of Andrea Jackson's soldiers during his 1818 campaign. It could also have been dropped by one of the Creels coming through town who raided Jackson's troops on behalf of the British.