As I said, rural whites would definitely have a huge advantage, and a large survival rate, but what makes you think suburban whites would have an advantage over urban blacks?
Medieval America Tk II: Discussion Thread
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As I said, rural whites would definitely have a huge advantage, and a large survival rate, but what makes you think suburban whites would have an advantage over urban blacks?
Well, I should've said that as I think that suburban populations will have relatively higher survival rates than inner city populations, regardless of race, based on proximity to emptying farmland and (possibly) more preparations in terms of familiarity with already existing agriculture and gardening in the nearby area. I'm thinking minority families in the suburbs would still do better than inner city whites.
Sorry, it got a little mixed up in the racial generalizations because I was thinking especially of Milwaukee which has one of the most polarized racial divides in the country between the suburbs and the city itself. A counter example would be in central Wisconsin around Stevens Point and Wausau where there's a large rural population of Hmong and Hispanic farmers and agricultural workers, who would likely come out relatively better than the mostly white inhabitants of those cities. Plus I'm sure that things have a lot of variation outside Wisconsin in the rest of the Midwest.
The thing is, could an inner-city black walk farther and faster than a white from a car-suburb? And wouldn't said black guy be stronger and more used to hard conditions than the white guy?
That's extremely subjective - I know many people of all races probably just as much to fail miserably as succeed in that simple test.
I think inner city blacks would still have enough advantages to put them on a roughly equal playing field to suburban whites, but more importantly, what do you think on my rural development and Nordsiedlung ideas?
Sports in Medieval America
Football: Football, or at least the wide array of local variations on the sport, is one of the most popular sports in America, especially among the peasantry. With the collapse of travel and no national regulating body, most regions have different versions of football than others. However, they all involve teams of 10-15, in different positions, throwing and running balls in order to score a touchdown. Most of the variations of football involve positions, field goals, or other minutiae, but in some areas, players wear leather helmets and armor. Nevertheless, the violence is the same in all of the versions.
Basketball: Basketball is the sport of the elite and urbanites. All American cities have a court for the playing of the sport. These courts are in effect reserved for the elite, by exorbitant entrance fees. For the urban commoners, a more cost-effective version of the sport is played: in the street, with hoops hung from buildings on each side. With roads in rural areas now not being paved, and the complete absence of cement, basketball has all but died out in rural areas.
Baseball Baseball is another popular sport in America. Bats are made out of wood, of varying quality, and bases are now just marked with dug-up patches of ground. The quality of the bat tends to vary by income level. The poorest use roughly carved sticks, the more well-off commoners have pieces of wood carved by the nearest carpenter, and the elites import bats from Louisville, where the most high-quality hitting sticks are made.
Football: Football, or at least the wide array of local variations on the sport, is one of the most popular sports in America, especially among the peasantry. With the collapse of travel and no national regulating body, most regions have different versions of football than others. However, they all involve teams of 10-15, in different positions, throwing and running balls in order to score a touchdown. Most of the variations of football involve positions, field goals, or other minutiae, but in some areas, players wear leather helmets and armor. Nevertheless, the violence is the same in all of the versions.
Basketball: Basketball is the sport of the elite and urbanites. All American cities have a court for the playing of the sport. These courts are in effect reserved for the elite, by exorbitant entrance fees. For the urban commoners, a more cost-effective version of the sport is played: in the street, with hoops hung from buildings on each side. With roads in rural areas now not being paved, and the complete absence of cement, basketball has all but died out in rural areas.
Baseball Baseball is another popular sport in America. Bats are made out of wood, of varying quality, and bases are now just marked with dug-up patches of ground. The quality of the bat tends to vary by income level. The poorest use roughly carved sticks, the more well-off commoners have pieces of wood carved by the nearest carpenter, and the elites import bats from Louisville, where the most high-quality hitting sticks are made.
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Has anyone posted anything about Florida yet? If not, is the Federation of Florida from thread 1 still canon?
Confederacy of Florida
Government:
Florida is a loose confederation stretching from Talahasy to Lwès Zile. It is ruled by a hereditary monarch that rules from Talahasy, the confederate capital. It has a senate that is made out of representatives appointed by each of the high nobles that rule the counties. These counties are very loosely bound, and sometimes war against each other. Most of these counties, especially in the center, consist of no more than a town or village and its hinterland. However, some counties are larger and will be dealt with below.
Selected Counties:
Duval: Duval County is located at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Aside from the capital at Jaxinvil, Duval controls a stretch of the St. Johns from Beech Atlantic to Oarnge Park. It also controls most of the tributaries between those two points. Jacksonville mainly exports watermelons, cotton, tobacco, and beef. Jacksonville's slaughterhouses kill cows and make jerky and salt beef, which they export North, all along the East Coast. If someone were to measure, Jaxinvil has the third-largest slaughterhouses in America, behind Chicago and St. Louis. Duval is right on the Georgia border, and their militia have lost and won many important battles in the Florida-Georgia wars. Due to not wanting to get ravaged again, Count Bill Lancaster leads the peace faction in the Florida Senate. It has 90,000 souls, most of whom will burn in hell for following the Baptist heresy, or so claim the Non-Denoms.
Hilsboro: Hilsboro is located on the Tampa Bay, around the city of Tampa. Tampa has one of the best ports in Florida, and it is very busy, supplying the Gulf Coast with salted fish, oranges, and other Caribbean crops. It controls most of Tampa bay, except for the Free Port of Santo Petersburg. Aside from the rich fisheries and agricultural products, Hilsboro is known for its cigars, produced in Ybor, a large town near Tampa. These cigars have such a reputation that they can be found anywhere in America East of the Mississippi, for a high enough price. In the Florida senate, Hilsboro's wishes are to conquer Santo Petersburg. This is because Santo Petersburg is a vassal of Louisiana, and when there is war between Florida and Louisiana, Santo Petersburg blocks off Tampa Bay and arrests fishermen and traders. Hilsboro has 80,000 people, who are somewhat equally divided between Non-Denom, Catholicism, and Voodoo.
Imocali: Imocali County is located deep in the Everglades. It is centered around towns connected by ancient causeways that were made in the days of the Union. The largest town is Imocali City. The farmlands around it mostly produce oranges and berries. Imocali is known for its very unique breeds of strawberries and blueberries, which are the only kinds of those plants that grow in the Gulf Coast region. In past times of foreign wars, Imocali has exploited the confusion by warring on its neighbors. Currently, it controls not only Imocali, but also LaBel, which is known for producing some of the best oranges in Florida, Cluiston, which is produces plumes and sugarcane, the fishing camps of Everglades and Chocoloski, and a port on the Nepals Ridge, Clampas. Imocali is a bastion of Catholicism, but the other towns and villages mostly practice Non-Denom. Between all of the various areas it controls, there are 40,000 people in Imocali.
Lwès Zile: Lwès Zile county is several islands in the Florida Keys. It is the gateway to the Caribbean, and located along the main trade route between the Atlantic and the Gulf. Aside from fishing and farming, the isle is a popular stop along the trade route. The isle is heavily dependent on Cuba to deliver beer, milk, and rum to the isle. As such, in the Florida Senate it tries to ensure access to these goods. The trade route Lwès Zile sits on is known for danger, and ships frequently shipwreck in the Florida Strait. When this happens, crews of sailors and divers go to the shipwreck and salvage what they can. This has led to lots of money flooding the town. The prospects of this attract many Caribbean immigrants, who make up the majority of the population. There is much ethnic tension between the Haitians and Cubans, and whenever one group controls the County Board, they rename the county to their own language. The Haitians are in power now, but the Cubans are looking to live in Isla Oeste. There are 7,000 people in Lwès Zile, and they are equally divided between Voodoo and Catholicism.
Miami: Miami is located on the Miami ridge in SE Florida, and it is centered around the largest port on the ridge, Miami City. Aside from Miami, it controls about 45 miles of the coast and many towns inland. Miami produces oranges and sugarcane, and exports them further North. Miami is but one of many counties on the Miami ridge, and often tries to conquer further up the ridge. It has received much immigration from the Cuban, Haitian, and Dominican states. As so, its religion is dominated by Catholicism, but Voodoo is also prominent. Miami has 100,000 people, 10,000 of which live in Miami City itself.
Ocala: Ocala County is in the North-Central part of Florida. It is recognized as being the source of the best horses for thousands of miles. These horses, along with the area's orange exports, bring wealth to the county. However, it is a target of neighboring counties, who in the past have banded together to sack Ocala City. Ocala has 30,000 people, and is a hotbed of the Baptist heresy.
Talahasy: Talahasy would be a completely unremarkable place, but is the capital of Florida. As such, it is only a mostly unremarkable place. It does not have very much hinterland, but the area around it mostly produces cotton and tobacco. It also exports lumber taken from the pine forests in the area. After seeing the demise of Jaxinvil's lumber industry, it now takes active steps to make sure the forests keep producing wood. The Low Nobles give a quota to the village commune, which cuts down that amount of wood. Over-harvesting (and under-harvesting) is punished by public flogging, or hanging if enough violations are made. This system, since being invented 305 years ago, has spread throughout the South. Talahasy has 13,000 people, who unusually include very few Baptist Heretics, due to the influence of the Court of Supervisors.
Foreign Relations:
Florida is often at war with Georgia. Florida won the last war, conquering Valdosta. Relations are pretty bad nowadays, and another war looks about to start soon. Louisiana is also sometimes at war with Florida, but relations are good now. To the south, various Cuban states have in the past raided the Miami and Nepals ridges. Lwès Zile, however, pays off the raiders. To the west, Florida seeks to reconquer Bay County, which controlled Florida's western frontier until it successfully rebelled 74 years ago. However, Bay County has formed an alliance with Mississippi, which helped to repel the last attempt at reconquering Bay.
Military:
Florida's military comes from the various counties under its command. These militaries vary by where they come from. For example, in the swamps, armies consist of skirmishers wielding bows and axes or clubs. In the coastal southern ridges, armies still contain those soldiers. However, armies also include horse archers that can quickly traverse the scrubs and pinelands. In cattle-raising regions, horse archers are more heavily armed and carry bolas. In northern and central Florida, militias carry spears, pikes, and polearms into battle. In northern Florida, as in Georgia, noble horsemen are heavily armed and carry lances, swords, and maces into battle.
Government:
Florida is a loose confederation stretching from Talahasy to Lwès Zile. It is ruled by a hereditary monarch that rules from Talahasy, the confederate capital. It has a senate that is made out of representatives appointed by each of the high nobles that rule the counties. These counties are very loosely bound, and sometimes war against each other. Most of these counties, especially in the center, consist of no more than a town or village and its hinterland. However, some counties are larger and will be dealt with below.
Selected Counties:
Duval: Duval County is located at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Aside from the capital at Jaxinvil, Duval controls a stretch of the St. Johns from Beech Atlantic to Oarnge Park. It also controls most of the tributaries between those two points. Jacksonville mainly exports watermelons, cotton, tobacco, and beef. Jacksonville's slaughterhouses kill cows and make jerky and salt beef, which they export North, all along the East Coast. If someone were to measure, Jaxinvil has the third-largest slaughterhouses in America, behind Chicago and St. Louis. Duval is right on the Georgia border, and their militia have lost and won many important battles in the Florida-Georgia wars. Due to not wanting to get ravaged again, Count Bill Lancaster leads the peace faction in the Florida Senate. It has 90,000 souls, most of whom will burn in hell for following the Baptist heresy, or so claim the Non-Denoms.
Hilsboro: Hilsboro is located on the Tampa Bay, around the city of Tampa. Tampa has one of the best ports in Florida, and it is very busy, supplying the Gulf Coast with salted fish, oranges, and other Caribbean crops. It controls most of Tampa bay, except for the Free Port of Santo Petersburg. Aside from the rich fisheries and agricultural products, Hilsboro is known for its cigars, produced in Ybor, a large town near Tampa. These cigars have such a reputation that they can be found anywhere in America East of the Mississippi, for a high enough price. In the Florida senate, Hilsboro's wishes are to conquer Santo Petersburg. This is because Santo Petersburg is a vassal of Louisiana, and when there is war between Florida and Louisiana, Santo Petersburg blocks off Tampa Bay and arrests fishermen and traders. Hilsboro has 80,000 people, who are somewhat equally divided between Non-Denom, Catholicism, and Voodoo.
Imocali: Imocali County is located deep in the Everglades. It is centered around towns connected by ancient causeways that were made in the days of the Union. The largest town is Imocali City. The farmlands around it mostly produce oranges and berries. Imocali is known for its very unique breeds of strawberries and blueberries, which are the only kinds of those plants that grow in the Gulf Coast region. In past times of foreign wars, Imocali has exploited the confusion by warring on its neighbors. Currently, it controls not only Imocali, but also LaBel, which is known for producing some of the best oranges in Florida, Cluiston, which is produces plumes and sugarcane, the fishing camps of Everglades and Chocoloski, and a port on the Nepals Ridge, Clampas. Imocali is a bastion of Catholicism, but the other towns and villages mostly practice Non-Denom. Between all of the various areas it controls, there are 40,000 people in Imocali.
Lwès Zile: Lwès Zile county is several islands in the Florida Keys. It is the gateway to the Caribbean, and located along the main trade route between the Atlantic and the Gulf. Aside from fishing and farming, the isle is a popular stop along the trade route. The isle is heavily dependent on Cuba to deliver beer, milk, and rum to the isle. As such, in the Florida Senate it tries to ensure access to these goods. The trade route Lwès Zile sits on is known for danger, and ships frequently shipwreck in the Florida Strait. When this happens, crews of sailors and divers go to the shipwreck and salvage what they can. This has led to lots of money flooding the town. The prospects of this attract many Caribbean immigrants, who make up the majority of the population. There is much ethnic tension between the Haitians and Cubans, and whenever one group controls the County Board, they rename the county to their own language. The Haitians are in power now, but the Cubans are looking to live in Isla Oeste. There are 7,000 people in Lwès Zile, and they are equally divided between Voodoo and Catholicism.
Miami: Miami is located on the Miami ridge in SE Florida, and it is centered around the largest port on the ridge, Miami City. Aside from Miami, it controls about 45 miles of the coast and many towns inland. Miami produces oranges and sugarcane, and exports them further North. Miami is but one of many counties on the Miami ridge, and often tries to conquer further up the ridge. It has received much immigration from the Cuban, Haitian, and Dominican states. As so, its religion is dominated by Catholicism, but Voodoo is also prominent. Miami has 100,000 people, 10,000 of which live in Miami City itself.
Ocala: Ocala County is in the North-Central part of Florida. It is recognized as being the source of the best horses for thousands of miles. These horses, along with the area's orange exports, bring wealth to the county. However, it is a target of neighboring counties, who in the past have banded together to sack Ocala City. Ocala has 30,000 people, and is a hotbed of the Baptist heresy.
Talahasy: Talahasy would be a completely unremarkable place, but is the capital of Florida. As such, it is only a mostly unremarkable place. It does not have very much hinterland, but the area around it mostly produces cotton and tobacco. It also exports lumber taken from the pine forests in the area. After seeing the demise of Jaxinvil's lumber industry, it now takes active steps to make sure the forests keep producing wood. The Low Nobles give a quota to the village commune, which cuts down that amount of wood. Over-harvesting (and under-harvesting) is punished by public flogging, or hanging if enough violations are made. This system, since being invented 305 years ago, has spread throughout the South. Talahasy has 13,000 people, who unusually include very few Baptist Heretics, due to the influence of the Court of Supervisors.
Foreign Relations:
Florida is often at war with Georgia. Florida won the last war, conquering Valdosta. Relations are pretty bad nowadays, and another war looks about to start soon. Louisiana is also sometimes at war with Florida, but relations are good now. To the south, various Cuban states have in the past raided the Miami and Nepals ridges. Lwès Zile, however, pays off the raiders. To the west, Florida seeks to reconquer Bay County, which controlled Florida's western frontier until it successfully rebelled 74 years ago. However, Bay County has formed an alliance with Mississippi, which helped to repel the last attempt at reconquering Bay.
Military:
Florida's military comes from the various counties under its command. These militaries vary by where they come from. For example, in the swamps, armies consist of skirmishers wielding bows and axes or clubs. In the coastal southern ridges, armies still contain those soldiers. However, armies also include horse archers that can quickly traverse the scrubs and pinelands. In cattle-raising regions, horse archers are more heavily armed and carry bolas. In northern and central Florida, militias carry spears, pikes, and polearms into battle. In northern Florida, as in Georgia, noble horsemen are heavily armed and carry lances, swords, and maces into battle.
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Sorry, but no way Florida can support that big a population center- the drainage just won't let it work with Medieval Technology.
Besides, on some of White's maps, its drawn with the Lowry population density, and is mainly US territory. I postulated that in the bits that America doesn't control, farmin orAnges and low-scale plantations, while hunting apes and Bayou Elephants. I also thought it would fit with the tongue and cheek attotude if they were Jews descended from the retirement communities
Besides, on some of White's maps, its drawn with the Lowry population density, and is mainly US territory. I postulated that in the bits that America doesn't control, farmin orAnges and low-scale plantations, while hunting apes and Bayou Elephants. I also thought it would fit with the tongue and cheek attotude if they were Jews descended from the retirement communities
Yes, 100,000 people in non-industrial Miami is way, way too much. Miami will revert to what it was before 1900: a swamp with a few brave residents. I don't know enough to judge the other numbers, but Miami really sticks out.
Regarding USA territory: The canonical map shows Jacksonville as the southernmost city in the USA. Definitely out on the fringes of its influence. I suggest that Jacksonville is a place of tension: the urban families generally want it in the US orbit, and the landowners in the countryside generally steer it toward more engagement with the rest of Florida. Is it possible that it sends Senators to Baltimore and Tallahassee? Or that it sends Senators to different cities in different years, depending on the balance of power in the city at the time?
Also to keep in mind: Florida is a land of secretarial states, meaning that the actual work of government is done by upper-class women.
I very much like the idea of a ceremonial Florida Senate and the diverse Counties within the state. I enjoy the religious and linguistic melting pot, since it really does draw influence from so many directions. Some kind of Spanish is probably the main language of Miami, not just the Keys. And maybe an even wider area than that, depending on how the urban population dispersed at the start of the Medieval era.
Lwes Zile is awesome. It sounds like a very exciting place to be. Some poet is probably writing a play about a boy from a Cuban-speaking trading family who falls in love with a Hatian-speaking girl, and they kill themselves with the help of a well-meaning voodoo priestess.
Regarding USA territory: The canonical map shows Jacksonville as the southernmost city in the USA. Definitely out on the fringes of its influence. I suggest that Jacksonville is a place of tension: the urban families generally want it in the US orbit, and the landowners in the countryside generally steer it toward more engagement with the rest of Florida. Is it possible that it sends Senators to Baltimore and Tallahassee? Or that it sends Senators to different cities in different years, depending on the balance of power in the city at the time?
Also to keep in mind: Florida is a land of secretarial states, meaning that the actual work of government is done by upper-class women.
I very much like the idea of a ceremonial Florida Senate and the diverse Counties within the state. I enjoy the religious and linguistic melting pot, since it really does draw influence from so many directions. Some kind of Spanish is probably the main language of Miami, not just the Keys. And maybe an even wider area than that, depending on how the urban population dispersed at the start of the Medieval era.
Lwes Zile is awesome.
It sounds like a very exciting place to be. Some poet is probably writing a play about a boy from a Cuban-speaking trading family who falls in love with a Hatian-speaking girl, and they kill themselves with the help of a well-meaning voodoo priestess.Sorry, but no way Florida can support that big a population center- the drainage just won't let it work with Medieval Technology.
Besides, on some of White's maps, its drawn with the Lowry population density, and is mainly US territory. I postulated that in the bits that America doesn't control, farmin orAnges and low-scale plantations, while hunting apes and Bayou Elephants. I also thought it would fit with the tongue and cheek attotude if they were Jews descended from the retirement communities
Actually, the area where Miami is is not a swamp. Miami is on the Miami Rock Ridge, a large ridge of dry land that goes from northern Miami-Dade County to the Keys. Before humanity came, it was not a swamp, but a Pine Rockland, which is one of the most endangered habitats in the world right now (the only other pine rocklands were in the Keys). Also, a lot of the Miami metro area has been filled in, so that extends the Miami Ridge through Broward and all the way to West Palm Beach. The really big impact would be on the other side, the Naples area. The Big Cypress Swamp naturally goes within a few miles of the coast, swamping all of the eastern suburbs.
Yes, 100,000 people in non-industrial Miami is way, way too much. Miami will revert to what it was before 1900: a swamp with a few brave residents. I don't know enough to judge the other numbers, but Miami really sticks out.
Regarding USA territory: The canonical map shows Jacksonville as the southernmost city in the USA. Definitely out on the fringes of its influence. I suggest that Jacksonville is a place of tension: the urban families generally want it in the US orbit, and the landowners in the countryside generally steer it toward more engagement with the rest of Florida. Is it possible that it sends Senators to Baltimore and Tallahassee? Or that it sends Senators to different cities in different years, depending on the balance of power in the city at the time?
Also to keep in mind: Florida is a land of secretarial states, meaning that the actual work of government is done by upper-class women.
I very much like the idea of a ceremonial Florida Senate and the diverse Counties within the state. I enjoy the religious and linguistic melting pot, since it really does draw influence from so many directions. Some kind of Spanish is probably the main language of Miami, not just the Keys. And maybe an even wider area than that, depending on how the urban population dispersed at the start of the Medieval era.
Lwes Zile is awesome.
I'm pretty sure the main reason it took so long to settle Miami is that it is so hot. With a population that doesn't have the option of leaving, the local population would get used to the heat. And considering the Jacksonville idea, this is a pre-Westphalian world, so it's very possible. And currently, Haitian is the most spoken language in Lwes Zile, although that changes.
It's still a small and restricted area. It can support a county/feudal state, definitely, but I cannot imagine that it would be the main population center of all Florida. The agricultural lands to the north can support way more people. The Keys are a special case because their location makes them a trade hub, but in general the population is going to be concentrated away from the swamps.
It's not a main population center. There are about 180-200 thousand people in the Miami ridge, half of whom live in Miami County. There are about 1.3 mil in Florida, counting Duval. Duval is smaller than Miami County, and it would have more people if the Georgians didn't periodically sack the place. Most of the people live in Northern and Central Florida, but counties there are small and usually are just one town and hinterland. Ocala is the largest in the region, and I actually am thinking of doubling the population in the county. The area breakdowns are like this: 180,000 in Miami Ridge, 50,000 in the Nepals Ridge area (from the Caloosahatchee to the swamp) 30,000 between those two regions, mostly in Imocali and around Lake Okeechobee, 10,000 in the Keys, 200,000 in the Kissimee valley and St. Johns valley up to Duval, 150,000 in the Space coast up to Duval, 250,000 between Gainesville and the Caloosahatchee, and 230,000 in Northern Florida, between the Apalachicola and the Atlantic. Bay County has 100,000. Key West is a moderate center of trade, but what really brings the immigrants there is the chance to make a fortune salvaging a shipwreck and go home with enough money to buy into the nobility. It's a slim chance, but it happens often enough that people want to try.
I envision Florida as a land of adventurers and ruffians, nominally under US control- poachers and hunters run through the swamps in search of Gators, Bayou Elephants, Glade Snakes, Apes, monkeys and Everglade Lions. Voudon Tribals worship at the towers sunken deep into the swamps, chasing away all those who dare intrude, often coming into conflict with the Jewish Tribe of Boakaratoan.Yes, 100,000 people in non-industrial Miami is way, way too much. Miami will revert to what it was before 1900: a swamp with a few brave residents. I don't know enough to judge the other numbers, but Miami really sticks out.
Regarding USA territory: The canonical map shows Jacksonville as the southernmost city in the USA. Definitely out on the fringes of its influence. I suggest that Jacksonville is a place of tension: the urban families generally want it in the US orbit, and the landowners in the countryside generally steer it toward more engagement with the rest of Florida. Is it possible that it sends Senators to Baltimore and Tallahassee? Or that it sends Senators to different cities in different years, depending on the balance of power in the city at the time?
Also to keep in mind: Florida is a land of secretarial states, meaning that the actual work of government is done by upper-class women.
I very much like the idea of a ceremonial Florida Senate and the diverse Counties within the state. I enjoy the religious and linguistic melting pot, since it really does draw influence from so many directions. Some kind of Spanish is probably the main language of Miami, not just the Keys. And maybe an even wider area than that, depending on how the urban population dispersed at the start of the Medieval era.
Lwes Zile is awesome.
cool. Conflict between the savage back woods folk and the US happens often, with Pirates and degenerates infesting every cove.There were fewer then one million people in 1913. How would a pre-industrial society manage to sustain such populations in land that is generally so bad for agriculture?
I envision Florida as a land of adventurers and ruffians, nominally under US control- poachers and hunters run through the swamps in search of Gators, Bayou Elephants, Glade Snakes, Apes, monkeys and Everglade Lions. Voudon Tribals worship at the towers sunken deep into the swamps, chasing away all those who dare intrude, often coming into conflict with the Jewish Tribe of Boakaratoan.
And deep in the heart, the Cult of Dis'ni kills all who dare enter their World.
And let's not forget thos who search for the legendary Cap'naveral from whence man rode to the stars below the Brevard Swamps, or the Fountain of Youth
Florida's fine for agriculture. It's got a long growing season and while the soil in some areas is sandy, that's still fine for plenty of crops, like citrus and cattle. Also, I know for a fact that there are varieties of strawberries and blueberries here that can stand the climate and soil. The only major crop here that wouldn't grow with Medieval technology are tomatoes. The major drawback of Florida, especially the southern part, is that it's hot and pestilent. So is West Africa, and they had plenty of people in medieval times. Before the Europeans arrived, there was about the same density of Indian population in the area as further north.