How has the environment shaped perceptions of Florida?

The first Europeans who came to Florida talked about its vast and untamed wilderness. Later, in the First Spanish Period, the British Period, and the Second Spanish period, that same environment was viewed as land to be controlled and used for plantation crops. Still in the first part of the twentieth century, this mentality pervaded—that the Florida environment was something to be beaten down and controlled in order to make the land usable and profitable for that generation and those to come. The Florida environment has historically induced people to view the state as a place of opportunity, a place to find land, and ultimately a destination. For the past few decades, perceptions of Florida in terms of the environment have changed. Now, we understand the mistakes we made in the past, which destroyed so much of the natural ecosystem and landscape. Although Florida is still viewed as a destination (largely because of its natural attractions), ideas of conservation and environmental rebirth now dominate when the Florida environment is invoked.