Cemeteries in Florida (State)

Florida, the southeastern-most state in the U.S., has a colonial history beginning with Spanish exploration in 1513 by Juan Ponce de León.

The region remained under Spanish control for much of the 16th to 18th centuries, aside from a brief British occupation from 1763 to 1783. It returned to Spanish hands before being ceded to the United States in 1821. Florida became the 27th state in 1845. Early European settlers were Spanish and British, followed by American pioneers, African Americans, and Caribbean immigrants. Catholic missions marked the early religious landscape, with Protestant denominations expanding in the 19th century. Florida seceded during the Civil War but rejoined the Union in 1868. From a frontier region, it evolved into a major hub for tourism, agriculture, and aerospace. Administered originally as Spanish and British colonies, Florida is now divided into 67 counties.

Historic cemeteries like St. Augustine’s Tolomato Cemetery reflect its multicultural past.