The Florida Keys: 200 Years of Paradise

Journey through the history of the Keys and meet the people who live that history every day. Celebrate the uniquely colorful and often dramatic history of our nation’s southernmost subtropical isles. Beginning with the planting of the U.S. flag on Key West in March 1822, the documentary uncovers two centuries of booms and busts, shipwrecks and pirates, engineering feats, natural disasters, artistic and literary achievement, sport fishing, ecological conservation, and restoration and renewal.

The film also explores the often overlooked history of Black contribution to the development of the Keys and the legacy of pioneers such as Sandy Cornish – a former slave who built Key West’s most successful farm in the 19th century and became a prominent civic leader. The hour-long program takes viewers on a historic journey to one of the most fascinating and exotic places in the country, discovering the people and events that make the Conch Republic unforgettably offbeat.

An original South Florida PBS production.

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