How the New Deal Built Florida Tourism By David J. Nelson
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Release date: 06-25-24
How the New Deal Built Florida Tourism By David J. Nelson AudioBook summary
Countering the conventional narrative that Florida’s tourism industry suffered during the Great Depression, this book shows that the 1930s were the starting point for much that characterizes modern Florida’s tourism. David Nelson argues that state and federal government programs designed to reboot the economy during this decade are crucial to understanding the state today.
Nelson examines the impact of three connected initiatives—the federal New Deal, its Civilian Conservation Corps program (CCC), and the CCC’s creation of the Florida Park Service. He reveals that the CCC designed state parks to reinforce the popular image of Florida as a tropical, exotic, and safe paradise. The CCC often removed native flora and fauna, introduced exotic species, and created artificial landscapes that were then presented as natural. Nelson discusses how Florida business leaders benefitted from federally funded development and the ways residents and business owners rejected or supported the commercialization and shifting cultural identity of their state.
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