Amelia Island is one of the several islands located off the coast of Florida. Sometimes referred to as the Isle of Eight Flags, the island bears the distinction of being the only area in the United States that has been under eight flags of domination. Its tumultuous past has nevertheless contributed greatly to its rich and diverse cultural heritage.
Amelia Island--which is 13 miles long and about 4 miles wide at its widest point--is part of Nassau County, Florida. It is one of the Sea Islands, a chain of islands that stretch from Florida to South Carolina. Its earliest known inhabitants were the Timucuan Indians, a people who occupied a region that stretched from Florida to Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in the southeastern area of the United States, and they occupied the island as early as 2000 BC.
The first Europeans on Amelia Island were the French; an expedition led by naval officer Jean Ribault landed on the island in 1562. This kicked off a stream of French settlers, who named the place "Isle de Mai" (Island of May), but Spanish troops led by admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés slaughtered them to take over the island and rule it for the next two centuries. "Isle de Mai" became "Isla de Santa Maria," in a Spanish-dominated period that was characterized by attempted Christian proselytization of the native inhabitants, as well as the decimation of their number by European disease.
Amelia Island got its current name in 1736 when James Oglethorpe, the British Governor of Georgia, named it after Princess Amelia, daughter of King George II. The naming symbolized the growing interest of the British, who got it from Spain in exchange for Cuba in 1763. However, they ceded it back to Spain in 1783 after the loss of their American colonies in the American Revolutionary War.
When the United States enacted the Embargo Act to ban foreign shipping in its ports, Amelia Island became a bustling spot for smuggling and piracy. Support for enforcement of the law led to subversion of Spanish control and a group known as the Patriots of Amelia Island to plant a flag at Fernandina, one of the island's towns. The U.S. shortly relinquished control back into the hands of the Spanish due to the impending War of 1812 with Britain, but another American takeover--this time, led by Scottish adventurer Sir Gregor MacGregor--occurred with the raising of the Green Cross of Florida flag in 1817.
Shaken by inefficient rule of Amelia for decades, Spain finally sold the island to the United States in 1821 to settle its $5 million debt owed to U.S. citizens. Apart for the American Civil War period when the Confederate States of America planted its flag there at Fort Clinch, Amelia Island has since remained U.S. territory as part of Florida.
After the American Civil War, Amelia Island experienced decades of prosperity. It was during the late 1800s that the region's shrimping industry was born, bolstered by power-driven vessels. Fernandina blossomed as a city of various industries. American Beach was established in the 1930s, and it became a prominent vacation spot for famous black Americans. It remains the oldest continuously black-owned seacoast resort in the United States. Famous vacationers of Amelia Island include Ulysses S. Grant, William Jennings Bryant, Ray Charles, Cab Calloway and James Brown.
Today, Amelia Island enjoys a reputation as being a quiet, peaceful beachfront community. It has 13 miles of beaches, which include American and Fernandina Beach. Amelia Island is home to points of interests such as the Amelia Island Museum of History, Fort Clinch State Park and the state's oldest continuously operating bar, with the Palace Saloon. It hosts a variety of festivals that include the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival.
