History of Tampa, Florida

History of Florida
The seal of Florida reflects the state's Native American history
Topics Cities - Counties - Politics
Timeline Pre-history, until 1497 Spanish Rule, 1513–1763 British Rule, 1763–1783: American Revolutionary War, 1775–1783 Spanish Rule, 1783–1821: War of 1812, 1811–1814 First Seminole War, 1817–1818 U.S. Territorial Period, 1822–1845: Capitol moved to Tallahassee, 1824 Second Seminole War, 1835–1842 Constitutional convention, 1838 Statehood, 1845–present: Third Seminole War, 1855–1858 Ordinance of Secession, 1861 Civil War, 1861–1865 3rd Constitution, 1865 Reconstruction, 1865–1868 4th Constitution, 1868 5th Constitution, 1885 Great Migration, 1910–1930 Land Boom, 1925–1929 6th Constitution, 1968 Gore v. Harris, Presidential Election, 2000 COVID-19 pandemic, 2020–present
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The modern history of Tampa, Florida, can be traced to the founding of Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River in today's downtown in 1824, soon after the United States had taken possession of Florida from Spain. The outpost brought a small population of civilians to the area, and the town of Tampa was first incorporated in 1855.

Growth came slowly as poor transportation links, conflicts with the Seminole tribe, and repeated outbreaks of yellow fever made development difficult. The Civil War and Reconstruction caused the city government to disincorporate for over a decade.

In the 1880s the construction of the first railroad links laid by Henry B. Plant brought the development of thriving cigar and phosphate industries. The founding of the cigar-centered neighborhood of Ybor City by Vicente Martinez-Ybor in 1885 brought an influx of thousands of Cubans, Spaniards, Italians, and other immigrants. Tampa's population jumped from less than 800 residents in 1880 to over 15,000 in 1900, making it one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Florida. This growth continued into the early 20th century as Tampa developed into a modern financial, trade, and commercial hub. This period saw the first Gasparilla Pirate Festival, pioneering aviator Tony Jannus captaining the inaugural flight of the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, the world's first commercial passenger airline, and the rise of organized crime as a major factor locally.

Tampa's growth resumed after a lull during the Great Depression and World War. 2. The population exceeded 100,000 during the 1930s, 250,000 during the 1950s, and 300,000 during the 1990s. The land area of Tampa also grew. Originally comprising only portions of today's downtown, the city annexed areas of unincorporated Hillsborough County and consolidated with several neighboring communities during the 20th century, most notably Ybor City (in 1887), Fort Brooke (in 1907), West Tampa (in 1925), Sulphur Springs (in 1953), Palma Ceia (in 1953), Port Tampa (in 1961), and New Tampa (in 1988).