Florida joined the Confederacy on January 10th, 1861, becoming the
third state to secede from the union. Remaining union forces evacuated to Fort Pickens. The Confederacy held Pensacola until the northern invasion of the city in May 1862. The Confederate forts (Fort Barrancas and Fort McRee) fought against an invading United States army and forces stationed at Fort Pickens. Pensacola was conquered by U.S. troops and most of the city was burned. Pensacola residents evacuated north to Greenville, Alabama. Fort Pickens was never captured by Confederate forces. Second United States Period (1865-Present)
The Civil War ravaged the economy and reconstruction was slow. Cotton
remained crucial to the economy. Economic diversification and urbanization slowly returned to the area. Vast pine forest, their wood used to produce paper, became an economic basis. A brick-making industry thrived at the turn of the twentieth century. Shipping declined overtime and military and manufacturing became prominent.
In the late twentieth century the area saw a dramatic increase in the
beach-based tourism industry which resulted in the rapid development of previously undisturbed barrier islands. Designation of a national and state seashore parks preserved some of the pristine barrier island land in Pensacola. A comparison of Pensacola’s barrier islands to the nearby sprawling developments of Destin and Panama City proves the value of these preserves.
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