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Fernandina Beach, Florida
 
 
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Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County
Nassau County, Florida

Nassau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 57,663. The United States Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 64,747 ....
 in the state of Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 in the United States of America and on Amelia Island
Amelia Island

Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida....
. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", it had the following flags flown over it since 1562: France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
, Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
, Spain (again), the Patriots of Amelia Island
Amelia Island Affair

The Amelia Island Affair was an episode in the history of colonial Florida.The Embargo Act and the abolishment of the American slave trade made Amelia Island, on the coast of Spanish Florida, a resort for smugglers with sometimes as many as 300 square-rigged vessels in its harbor....
, the Green Cross of Florida
Gregor MacGregor

Gregor MacGregor was a Scotland soldier, adventurer and colonizer who fought in the South American struggle for independence. Upon his return to England in 1820, he claimed to be cazique of Poyais ....
, Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
, and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.






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Fernandina Beach is a city in Nassau County
Nassau County, Florida

Nassau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 57,663. The United States Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 64,747 ....
 in the state of Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 in the United States of America and on Amelia Island
Amelia Island

Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida....
. The area was first inhabited by the Timucuan Indian tribe. Known as the "Isle of 8 Flags", it had the following flags flown over it since 1562: France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
, Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
, Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
, Spain (again), the Patriots of Amelia Island
Amelia Island Affair

The Amelia Island Affair was an episode in the history of colonial Florida.The Embargo Act and the abolishment of the American slave trade made Amelia Island, on the coast of Spanish Florida, a resort for smugglers with sometimes as many as 300 square-rigged vessels in its harbor....
, the Green Cross of Florida
Gregor MacGregor

Gregor MacGregor was a Scotland soldier, adventurer and colonizer who fought in the South American struggle for independence. Upon his return to England in 1820, he claimed to be cazique of Poyais ....
, Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
, and the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. It is the only municipality in the United States that has flown eight different national flags.

The population was 10,549 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 11,241. It is the county seat
County seat

A county seat or parish seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there....
 of Nassau County
Nassau County, Florida

Nassau County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 57,663. The United States Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county was 64,747 ....
.

Geography

Fernandina Beach is located at (30.4010, -81.2742).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau

The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data....
, the city has a total area of 27.8 km² (10.7 sq mi), all land.

Demographics

As of the census
Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population....
 of 2000, there were 10,549 people, 4,525 households, and 2,941 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans....
 was 984.4 people per square mile (379.9/km²). There were 5,588 housing units at an average density of 521.5/sq mi (201.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.54% White, 16.19% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are Self-concept data items in which residents choose the Race in the United States or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin ....
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.

There were 4,525 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
 living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $40,893, and the median income for a family was $54,806. Males had a median income of $36,179 versus $26,356 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone....
 for the city was $24,517. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Southside Elementary School (PreK-1)
Principal: Cindy Olson

Atlantic Elementary School (2-3)
Principal: Laurie Kepner

Emma Love Hardee Elementary School (4-5)
Principal: Dr. Eric Larsen
"A" School

Fernandina Beach Middle School (6-8)
Principal: Dr. John (Nozella) Mazzella
"A" School

Fernandina Beach High School (9-12)
Principal: Jane Arnold
Five-star School

The Isle of 8 Flags

Circa 1000, native American bands associated with the Timucuan mound-building culture settled on the island, which they called Napoyca. They remained on Napoyca until the early 18th century.

French flag

French Huguenot explorer Jean Ribault
Jean Ribault

Jean Ribault was a French naval officer, navigator, and a colonizer of what would become the southeastern United States. He was born in the village of Dieppe, France on the English Channel....
 becomes the first (recorded) European visitor to Napoyca in 1562, which he names Isle de Mar. In 1565, Spanish forces led by Pedro Menendez de Aviles
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés

Pedro Men?ndez de Avil?s was a sixteenth century Spanish people admiral and pirate hunter. He is best remembered for his founding of St. Augustine, Florida on August 28 1565, and also for his subsequent destruction of the French settlement of Fort Caroline....
 drive the French from northeastern Florida, slaughtering Ribault and approximately 350 other French colonists.

Spanish flag

In 1573, Spanish Franciscans establish the Santa Maria mission on the island, which is named Isla de Santa Maria. The mission was abandoned in 1680 after the inhabitants refuse a Spanish order to relocate. British raids force the relocation of the Santa Catalina de Guale mission on Georgia's St. Catherine's Island
St. Catherine's Island

St. Catherine's Island, also known as Guale, Santa Catalina, St. Catherine's Island, or as one of the Golden Isles is an island off Georgia located between St....
, to the abandoned Santa Maria mission on the Island in 1685. In 1702, this mission was again abandoned when South Carolina's colonial governor, James Moore
James Moore (South Carolina politician)

Colonel James Moore was the British Empire colonial governor of South Carolina between 1700 and 1703. During this period, he led a number of attacks from the Carolinas into Spanish people Florida....
, leads a joint British-Indian invasion of Florida.

English flag

Georgia's founder and colonial governor, James Oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe

James Oglethorpe was a Kingdom of Great Britain general, a philanthropist, and was the founder of the colony of Georgia . He was born in London, the son of Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe of Westbrook Place, Godalming in the county of Surrey....
, renames the island "Amelia Island" in honor of princess Amelia (1710-1786), King George II's daughter, although the island was still a Spanish possession. After establishing a small settlement on the northwestern edge of the island, Oglethorpe negotiates with Spanish colonial officials for a transfer of the island to British sovereignty. Colonial officials agree to the transfer, but the King of Spain nullifies the agreement.

The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ratifies Britain's victory in the Seven Years' War, ceding Florida to Britain in exchange for Havana and nullifying all Spanish land grants in Florida. The Proclamation of 1763 established the St. Mary's River as East Florida's northeastern boundary.

Spanish flag

In 1783, the Second Treaty of Paris ends the Revolutionary War and returns Florida to Spain. British inhabitants of Florida had to leave the province within 18 months unless they swore allegiance to Spain. In 1811, surveyor George J. F. Clarke plats the town of Fernandina, named in honor of Spain's King Ferdinand VII.

Patriot flag

With the approval of President James Madison
James Madison

James Madison was an American politician and political philosopher who served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States , and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States....
 and Georgia Governor George Mathews
George Mathews

George Mathews may refer to:*George Mathews , Governor of Georgia*George A. Mathews , Delegate from Dakota Territory to the United States House of Representatives...
 in 1812-1813, insurgents known as the "Patriots of Amelia Island" seize the island. After raising a Patriot flag, they replace it with the United States Flag. American gunboats under the command of Commodore Hugh Campbell maintain control of the island until Spanish pressure forces their evacuation in 1813.

Green Cross of Florida flag

Spanish forces erect Fort San Carlos on the island in 1816. Led by Gregor MacGregor
Gregor MacGregor

Gregor MacGregor was a Scotland soldier, adventurer and colonizer who fought in the South American struggle for independence. Upon his return to England in 1820, he claimed to be cazique of Poyais ....
 in 1817, a Scottish-born soldier of fortune, 55 musketeers seize Fort San Carlos, claiming the island on behalf of the "Green Cross."

Mexican rebel flag

Spanish soldiers force MacGregor's withdrawal, but their attempt to regain complete control is foiled by American irregulars organized by Ruggles Hubbard and former Pennsylvania congressman Jared Irwin
Jared Irwin

Jared Irwin was twice elected Governor of Georgia around the turn of the Nineteenth century.Born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, his family moved to Burke County, Georgia when he was young....
. Hubbard and Irwin later join forces with the French-born pirate Luis Aury, who lays claim to the island on behalf of the Republic of Mexico. U. S. Navy forces drive Aury from the island, and President James Monroe
James Monroe

James Monroe was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . His administration was marked by the acquisition of Florida ; the Missouri Compromise , in which Missouri was declared a slave state; the admission of Maine in 1820 as a free state; and the profession of the Monroe Doctrine , declaring U.S....
 vows to hold Amelia Island "in trust for Spain."

Confederate flag

On January 8, 1861, two days before Florida's secession, Confederate sympathizers (the Third Regiment of Florida Volunteers) take control of Fort Clinch
Fort Clinch

Fort Clinch is a 19th century brick fortress located on a peninsula near the northernmost point of Amelia Island, along the Amelia River. The fort lies to the northeast of Fernandina Beach, Florida at the entrance to the Cumberland Sound and lies within Fort Clinch State Park....
, already abandoned by Federal workers who had been constructing the fort. General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
 visits Fort Clinch in November 1861 and again in January 1862, during a survey of coastal fortifications.

United States flag

Union forces, consisting of 28 gunboats commanded by Commodore Samuel Dupont, restore Federal control of the island on March 3, 1862 and raise the American Flag.

External links

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