Archaeological evidence indicates humans have habitated the land of what is now called Jacksonville for more than 6,000 years. Pottery has been found dating to 2500 BC,
Some of the oldest in the United States..
In the 16th century, the beginning of the historical period, the area was inhabited by the Mocama, coastal subgroup of the Timucua Indians. Their distinctive culture developed around 500 B.C. according to archaeologists. Most Mocama villages in present-day Jacksonville were part of the powerful chiefdom known as the Saturiwa, centered on Fort George Island near the mouth of the St. Johns River.
In 1513, Tumultuous times in Europe brought explorers to the shores of the New World. these explorers landed in Florida and claimed their discovery for Spain. The first Europeans to visit the area were Spanish missionaries and explorers from this time.
In February 1562, French naval officer Jean Ribault and a 150 settlers were sent out to find land for a safe haven for the French Huguenots. Ribault explored the mouth of the St. Johns River before moving north and establishing the colony of Charlesfort on Parris Island, South Carolina.
In 1564 Ribault's former lieutenant, René Goulaine de Laudonnière, launched a new expedition to found a colony on the St. Johns River.. The settlers established Fort Caroline atop the St. Johns Bluff on June 22, 1564.. one of the earliest European settlements in the United States..
The Spanish continued to occupy Fort Caroline, which they rechristened San Matteo. This was the scene of one more battle between the French and Spanish in 1568, when Dominique de Gourgues burned the fort to the ground. The Spanish rebuilt the fort.. but abandoned it in 1569. Afterwards, the Spanish build Fort San Nicolas further up the river to protect the rear flank of St. Augustine. "San Nicolas" served as their name for the Jacksonville area, a placename which survives in the neighborhood of St. Nicholas. The fort was located on the east side of the St. Johns where Bishop Kenny High School now stands, and was abandoned in the late 17th century.
Spain ceded Florida to the British 1763 at the end of the Seven Years War in Europe, in order to keep the city of Havana.. which was more important to their New World Empire..but by 1783 the British were forced to return control of the Florida Colony to the Spanish. Though only 20 years passed before the British lost control of the Florida colony, it was an active time of development. The first permanent settlement Jacksonville was founded as "Cowford" in 1791, at a narrow point in the St. Johns River where cattlemen could ford their livestock across.. this is when Large land grants were issued and plantations were built along the St. Johns to grow cotton, indigo, rice and vegetables. Lumber was harvested to expand the mighty British navy and work began on the first road.. the King’s Road.. from Savannah to St. Augustine. Population grew and commerce in and out of the port expanded. Spanish place names were changed to English. Most notable was the renaming of a narrow plot of land on the river to Cowford, as a place where cows could easily “ford” across the river. Many loyalists settled here during the Revolutionary War.
Between 1812 and 1814, the US Navy assisted American settlers in "The Patriot War", a covert attempt to seize control of Florida from the Spanish that began with invasions of Fernandina and Amelia Island. The Florida Territory was sold to the United States in 1821, and by 1822, Jacksonville's current name had come into use.
It first appears on a petition sent June 15, 1822 to U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, asking that Jacksonville be named a port of entry. The city is named for Andrew Jackson, military governor of the Florida Territory and eventual President of the United States..
U.S. settlers led by Isaiah D. Hart authored a charter for a town government, which was approved by the Florida Legislative Council on February 9, 1832. Hart is remembered as the city's most important founding father, and is memorialized with the Isaiah D. Hart Bridge over the St. Johns.
On May 3, 1901, downtown Jacksonville was ravaged by a fire that started at a fiber factory. The "Great Fire of 1901", it was one of the worst disasters in Florida history and the largest urban fire in the southeastern United States. It took just eight hours to destroy the business district and leaving approximately 10,000 residents homeless. It is said the glow from the flames could be seen in Savannah, Georgia, and the smoke plumes seen in Raleigh, North Carolina. Architect Henry John Klutho was a primary figure in the reconstruction of the city. More than 13,000 buildings were constructed between 1901 and 1912.
In the 1910s, New York–based filmmakers were attracted to Jacksonville's warm climate, amazing locations, excellent rail access, and cheap labor. Over the decade, more than 30 silent film studios were established, earning Jacksonville the title of "Winter Film Capital of the World". However, the emergence of Hollywood as a major film production capital ended the city's film industry. One converted movie studio site, Norman Studios, remains in Arlington; It has been converted to the Jacksonville Silent Film Museum at Norman Studios.
During this period, Jacksonville also became a banking and insurance city, with companies such as the Barnett Bank, Atlantic National Bank, Florida National Bank, Prudential, Gulf Life, and the Afro-American Insurance.
The U.S. Navy also became a major employer and economic force during the 1940s, with the construction of three naval bases in the city, its Florida's third largest seaport.
It ranks alongside cities such as Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
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