Beechers, Stowes and Yankee Strangers: The Transformation of Florida

A beautifully written, researched, and convincing treatment of an important time and fascinating personalities in Florida’s history. -Mark I. Greenberg, Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, Jackson, Mississippi Modern Florida–a world of tourists Much has been written about carpetbaggers, the rise of Jim Crow laws and the Ku Klux Klan. Here’s another side of the period: the reformers, educators, ministers and entrepeneurs who came to Florida and laid a foundation upon which a modern state was built… . –Beechers, Stowes, and Yankee Strangers– is an interesting story about remarkable people during a period of change. The Fosters do a fine job in bringing the individuals and the time in which they lived to life. – Florida Wildlife

For those who think Henry Flagler’s railroad was the only thing that brought settlers to Florida, –Beechers, Stowes and Yankee Strangers– sheds new light on the history of the Sunshine State.

Before Flagler Drove his first spike in Florida, a group of social reformers from the North had a major impact on the state in the Reconstruction period of the late 19th century… . The most well-know ‘Stranger’ was Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of –Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Abraham Lincoln is said to have introduced her once as the ‘lady who started the Civil War.’ Reading this book, one might also call her the ‘lady who started Florida tourism.’ – Daytona Beach News-Journal

A very readable history of Florida covering the period just prior to the Civil War and until the start of the 20th century… . If you are interested in seeing how Florida’s past shaped its present, this book is a useful tool. It should be required reading for any Florida history class. – Ft. Pierce Tribune