Transforming Winter Park’s Hannibal Square: Race and Class in Gilded-Age Florida

An accessible frontier in the Gilded Age, Central Florida was home to communities that captured the aspirations for countless American citizens. These communities reflected narratives of freedom and community building that both affirmed and challenged assumptions linked to the New South experience. This paper explores the complex dualistic atmosphere around community development between African American and white residents in Winter Park, Florida. By exploring the legacy linked to community and identity, we gain greater understanding of the forces that shaped the state and the nation between 1880 and 1900.