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Thousands of years before European discovery, the island of Key West was largely occupied by the Calusa and Tequesta Native American tribes. Brief settlements by transient Seminoles in the late 18th century introduced temporary trade in the region; early fishing and wrecking revenues became notable amongst passing Natives in the region. The island's first documented discovery by Europeans occurred in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de León while attempting to reach Florida's Gulf Coast.[note 1][1] The island soon adopted the Spanish name, Cayo Hueso, literally meaning "bone cay", referring the scattered bones believed to be left behind from warring natives.[note 2][2] Although ownership was claimed by the Spanish explorers, no permanent settlement had been established, and possession of the island was briefly asserted by the British in 1763.[3]
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Following Spain's secession of Florida to the United States in 1819, the first permanent colonization of Key West began with American possession in 1821.[4] Legal claim of the island occurred with the purchase by businessman, John W. Simonton, in 1822, in which federal property was asserted only three months later with the arrival of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Mathew C. Perry. After being designated as an official Port of Entry in 1828, Key West's wrecking industry became a significant factor in the island's growing economy. By the 1830s, Key West was the wealthiest city in the United States per capita.[5] Shortly after Florida's secession from the United States, Union soldiers seized Fort Zachary, securing their position in Key West as a stronghold for the duration of the war.[6] The East Gulf Blockade Squadron, established on the island by the Union Navy to limit the import of supplies to Confederate port cities along the Gulf of Mexico, was a key influence in the outcome of the Civil War.[7]
With the completion of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railway in the early 1910s, Key West was connected to the Florida mainland with Flagler's extension of the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC).[8] In the years prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1953, frequent transport existed between Key West and Havana. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the island later became a strategic position for installation of missile defense systems and military personnel in the event of a sudden attack from Cuba. In his speeches regarding Fidel Castro, President John F. Kennedy often used the phrase "90 miles from Cuba" in reference to Key West's close proximity to Cuba.
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