Key West in History by Rodney Carlisle

Key West in History by Rodney Carlisle

This lively, photo-rich guide to things to see in Key West takes you through the nearly 200-year history of this unique town, era by era. From the first dedicated Navy officers putting down Caribbean pirates, through daring salvage captains and their crews, Confederate and Union patriots, spongers and deep-sea fishermen, entrepreneurs, Cuban revolutionaries, rascals and Bohemians, Key West unfolds its attractions. Key West played a crucial role in many phases of American history since its founding in 1821, due to its position at the Southernmost tip of the continental United States and as a unique tropical get-away for writers and artists, rebels and presidents. This volume takes the visitor through the sites that tell the story of each period, with photographs and site descriptions that place the town's churches, forts, homes, saloons and cigar factories, museums and monuments, all in the larger context of the city and the nation's history. The story is studded with characters from Captain David Porter, through Stephen Mallory and Jose Marti, to Ernest Hemingway, Harry Truman, Mel Fisher, and Jimmy Buffett, who each left their mark on the town. This guide to the sites that witnessed the characters and events is an indispensable tool for historic sightseeing.

Rodney Carlisle, professor emeritus of history at Rutgers University, is the author and editor of over thirty books including Sovereignty at Sea: U.S. Merchant Ships and American Entry into World War I. Loretta Carlisle is a professional photographer whose images have been published in a wide number of book series.