Tallahassee, the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida, has a rich history that dates back to its establishment as the capital of the Florida Territory in 1824. It is the county seat of Leon County
and the only incorporated municipality in the county. As of 2024, Tallahassee had an estimated population of 205,089, making it the eighth-most populous city in Florida. The city is a hub for education, being home to Florida State University, Florida A&M University, and Tallahassee State College.
First Peoples & First Mentions
Indigenous peoples occupied the area of Tallahassee for thousands of years before European encounter. Around 1200, the Mississippian culture built earthwork mounds near Lake Jackson, which are preserved in the Lake Jackson Archaeological State Park. The name Tallahassee is a Muskogean language word often translated as "old fields" or "old town," likely an expression of the Creek people who migrated to the region in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Explorers, Missions & Colonial Outposts
The Spanish Empire established its first colonial settlement at St. Augustine and later established several missions in Apalachee territory, including Mission San Luis de Apalachee in Tallahassee. Hernando de Soto's expedition occupied the Apalachee town of Anhaica in the winter of 1538-39, marking the first place that Christmas was celebrated in the continental United States.
From Empire to Nation: Transfers of Rule
During the First Seminole War, General Andrew Jackson fought skirmishes in and around Tallahassee, which was then Spanish territory. Florida became an American territory in 1821, and Tallahassee was selected as the capital due to its central location between St. Augustine and Pensacola. The city was formally incorporated in December 1825.
Rails, Roads & River Landings: Corridors That Sited Tallahassee
The Tallahassee Railroad, constructed in 1834, connected St. Marks with Tallahassee to facilitate the shipping of cotton. The city was a center of the slave trade in Florida and was the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi River not captured by Union forces during the Civil War. The Battle of Natural Bridge was fought south of the city in 1865, just before the war ended.
