Groveland Four
The Groveland Four (or the Groveland Boys) were four African American teens, Ernest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Samuel Shepherd, and Walter Irvin. In July 1949, the four were accused of raping a white woman and severely beating her husband in Lake County, Florida. The oldest, Thomas, tried to elude capture and was killed that month. The others were put on trial. Shepard and Irvin received death sentences, and Greenlee was sentenced to life in prison. The events of the case led to serious questions about the arrests, allegedly coerced confessions and mistreatment, and the unusual sentencing following their convictions. Their incarceration was exacerbated by their systemic and unlawful treatment—including the death of Shepherd, and the near-fatal shooting of Irvin. Greenlee was paroled in 1962 and Irvin in 1968. All four were posthumously exonerated by the state of Florida in 2021. Details Thomas, Shepherd, Irvin, and Greenlee (then 16) were accused of raping 17-year-old Norma Padg ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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African Americans
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. African Americans constitute the second largest ethno-racial group in the U.S. after White Americans. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of Africans enslaved in the United States. In 2023, an estimated 48.3 million people self-identified as Black, making up 14.4% of the country’s population. This marks a 33% increase since 2000, when there were 36.2 million Black people living in the U.S. African-American history began in the 16th century, with Africans being sold to European slave traders and transported across the Atlantic to the Western Hemisphere. They were sold as slaves to European colonists and put to work on plantations, particularly in the southern colonies. A few were able to achieve freedom th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Willis V
Willis may refer to: Places United States * Willis, Florida, an unincorporated community * Willis, Kansas, a city * Willis, Michigan, an unincorporated community * Willis, Nebraska, an unincorporated community * Willis, Oklahoma, an unincorporated community * Willis, Texas, a city * Willis, Floyd County, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Willis, Russell County, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Willis River, a tributary of the James River in Virginia Elsewhere * Willis, Grenada, a town * Willis Island, Coral Sea Islands Territory, Australia * Willis Islands, South Georgia Islands Arts and entertainment Works * ''Giselle'' or ''The Willis'', a ballet (in the ballet, the Willis are a group of supernatural women) * ''Le Villi'' (''The Willis'' or ''The Fairies''), an opera-ballet composed by Giacomo Puccini * ''Willis'' (album), by The Pietasters Fictional characters * Willis Jackson (character), in the 1970s-1980s American sitcom ''Diff'rent Strokes'' * Wil ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fitzgerald, Georgia
Fitzgerald is a city in and the county seat of Ben Hill County, Georgia, Ben Hill County in the south central portion of the United States, U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of 2020, its population was 9,006. It is the principal city of the Fitzgerald Fitzgerald micropolitan area, micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Ben Hill and Irwin County, Georgia, Irwin counties. A small portion of Fitzgerald is in Irwin County. History Fitzgerald was developed in 1895 by Philander H. Fitzgerald, an Indianapolis newspaper editor. A former drummer boy (military), drummer boy in the Union Army during the Civil War, he founded it as a community for American Civil War, war veterans–both from the Union and from the Confederate States of America, Confederacy. The majority of the first citizens (some 2700) were Union veterans. It was incorporated on December 2, 1896. The town is located less than from the site where Confederate president Jefferson Davis was captured ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gainesville metropolitan area with a population of 350,903 in 2022. Gainesville is home to the University of Florida, the List of largest United States university campuses by enrollment, third-largest public university campus by enrollment in the United States as of the 2023–2024 academic year. The university is represented by the Florida Gators sports teams in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA competitions. History There is archeological evidence, from about 12,000 years ago, of the presence of Paleo-Indians in the Gainesville area, although it is not known if there were any permanent settlements. A Deptford culture campsite existed in Gainesville and was estimated to have been used between 500 BCE and 100 CE. The Deptford peop ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Baker County, Florida
Baker County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,259. Its county seat is Macclenny. The county was founded in 1861 and is named for James McNair Baker, a judge and Confederate Senator. Baker County is included in the Jacksonville metropolitan area. In 1864, the Battle of Olustee, which was the only major American Civil War battle in Florida, was fought near Lake City in Baker County. History Baker County was founded in 1861. It was named for James McNair Baker, a judge and Confederate senator. In 1864 the Battle of Olustee was fought near Lake City in Baker County. This was the only major American Civil War battle in Florida. Much of the area was originally covered with pine flatwoods and cypress swamps, as was Columbia County to the west. Parts of both counties are included in Osceola National Forest. A lumber industry developed here, with sawmills constructed along rivers and waterways, where lumber was brought o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Columbia County, Florida
Columbia County is a County (United States), county located in the North Central Florida, north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 69,698, up from 67,531 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Its county seat is Lake City, Florida, Lake City. Columbia County comprises the Lake City, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville-Lake City, FL Gainesville, Florida metropolitan area, Combined Statistical Area. Osceola National Forest is partially in Columbia County. History After Florida became a Florida Territory, territory of the United States in 1821, pioneer and immigrant settlers from the United States formed their own settlement adjacent to a Seminole village called Alligator Village, and called it Alligator. Following the 1823 Treaty of Moultrie Creek, the residents of Alligator village relocated to the banks of Peace Creek in the newly establ ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ron DeSantis
Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2013 to 2018 as the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. representative from . DeSantis was a Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign, candidate for the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, 2024 Republican presidential nomination, withdrawing his candidacy in January 2024. After graduating from Yale University and Harvard Law School, DeSantis joined the United States Navy, U.S. Navy in 2004 and was promoted to Lieutenant (navy), lieutenant before serving as a United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, legal advisor to SEAL Team One. He was stationed at Joint Task Force Guantanamo in 2006 and was Iraq War troop surge of 2007, deployed to Iraq in 2007. When DeSantis return ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Rick Scott
Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and United States Navy, Navy veteran serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Florida, a seat he has held since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served two terms as the 45th governor of Florida from 2011 to 2019. Scott is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Kansas City and the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. In 1987, after serving in the U.S. Navy and becoming a law firm partner, he co-founded Columbia Hospital Corporation. Columbia later merged with another corporation to form Columbia/HCA, which eventually became the nation's largest for-profit health care company. Scott was pressured to resign as chief executive of Columbia/HCA in 1997. During his tenure as chief executive, the company defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted. The Senate is composed of 40 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 540,000 residents. The Senate Chamber is located in the State Capitol building. The Republican Party of Florida, Republicans hold a supermajority in the chamber with 27 seats; Florida Democratic Party, Democrats are in the minority with 10 seats. One seat is held by an Independent politician, independent, and two seats are vacant. Terms Article III of the Constitution of Florida, Florida Constitution defines the terms for state legislators. The Constitution requires state senators from odd-numbered districts to be el ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Florida House Of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted in 1968, defines the role of the Legislature and how it is to be constituted. The House is composed of 120 members, each elected from a single-member district with a population of approximately 180,000 residents. Legislative districts are drawn on the basis of population figures, provided by the federal decennial census. Representatives' terms begin immediately upon their election. The Republican Party of Florida, Republicans hold a supermajority in the State House with 87 seats; Florida Democratic Party, Democrats are in the minority with 33 seats. Term limits House members are limited to four consecutive terms. In recent years in the Republican majority caucus, each entering class of House members elects ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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LeRoy Collins
Thomas LeRoy Collins (March 10, 1909 – March 12, 1991) was an American politician who served as the 33rd governor of Florida from 1955 to 1961. Collins began his governorship after winning a special election in 1954, and was elected to a four-year term in 1956. Prior to winning election as governor, Collins served several terms in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate. He was the first governor from the South to promote ending segregation. Counseling "progress under law," he took a moderate course in favor of incremental improvements during the 1950s and 60s and is remembered as a voice in favor of civil rights. Early life Collins, "an example of the poor boy made good," was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, son of a "neighborhood grocer". He attended Leon High School. He went on to attend Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and then the Cumberland School of Law, at that time in Lebanon, Tennessee, where he earned a law degree. In 1932, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |