The Spanish were the first Europeans to set foot at Tallahassee in 1528. Conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez came with almost 400 men. Unfortunately, many of his men didn’t make it through the Indian attacks and some more hurricanes. After being stuck in Florida for eight years, de Nervaez’ men arrived in Mexico City, but without de Nervaez, who died in the middle of the expedition.
The second Spanish expedition was led by Hernando de Soto. De Soto and his men were known to conquer the Apalachee Indians in the winter of 1538-1539. The succeeding missions by the Spanish were welcomed with great resistance because of de Soto’s cruelty towards the Apalachees.
One of their major missions was to establish the Mission San Luis de Apalachee. It became a provincial capital in the US and is now a tourist attraction after its reconstruction.
After Spain gave up control of Florida in 1821, they saw the need to find a strategic location they can, later on, established as the state capital. St. Augustine and Pensacola were the largest cities at that time and were tasked to look for a place that is equidistant from each other to make it easier for them to have meetings.
John Lee Williams and William Simmons saw that Tallahassee is a good fit because it is located near a waterfall. In 1824, it became the territorial capital.
Colleges and Universities
Tallahassee is home to Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College, Florida A&M University, and Barry University. During the Civil War, students of Florida State University waged war in the Battle of Natural Bridge. They were awarded as the only non-military institution to defend themselves in the battle.
Museums and other cultural sites
If you are new in Tallahassee, you should not miss the chance of seeing the Goodwood Museum and Gardens, Tallahassee Museum of History and Science, and the Knott House.
The Goodwood Museum and Gardens is within a former corn and cotton plantation. You can see the impressive roller rink, mansion, cottages, and formal gardens within the vicinity.
If you are interested in history, you can head to the Tallahassee Museum of History and Science and visit Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew’s house and be impressed with its history and structure. Within its boundaries is an African-American church that was built in the 1850s.
If you want to learn more about the history of the African-Americans in Tallahassee, you should never miss the opportunity to visit the John G. Riley House Museum. You would also appreciate the FAMU Black Archives Research Center and Museum.
Sports
While Tallahassee is not a host to any professional sports happenings, you can still expect some local action is taking place. FSU Seminoles offers a wide variety of sports action from football, soccer, golf, and basketball. The women’s division is also active in sports, including basketball, soccer, cross country, and volleyball. They present themselves using a logo bearing a Native American woman. The logos used by FSU have written consent from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc.