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59-576: Construction of the fort began in 1845 as part of a mid-19th century plan to defend the southeast coast of the United States through a series of forts after the War of 1812 . Thompson Island, at the southwest tip of Key West, was selected as the site for the fort in 1822 and plans drawn up by Simon Bernard and Joseph G. Totten were approved in 1836. Two supporting artillery batteries , Martello Towers , provided additional coverage, one of which exists today as

118-440: A terreplein or barbette at the top. Three seaward curtains 495 feet (151 m) between bastions , each containing 42 guns on three levels, were augmented by a land-facing gorge . Troop barracks were built into this gorge with a capacity for 800 men. At either end of the barracks was a large gunpowder magazine while a sally port was located in the center, connected to land by a 1,200-foot (366 m) causeway . Rainwater

177-681: A border state that remained with the Union while being contested by the Confederacy and Confederate government of West Virginia . Following the Reconstruction era in the 1870s, many Southeast state legislatures passed Jim Crow laws . The American segregation era spanned from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the Southeast saw many shifting changes take place population wise and economically. The Southeast started to see

236-516: A key outpost for threatening blockade runners during the Union blockade . Major William H. French arrived in April 1861 with his artillery unit. In 1898, the fort was reduced to two stories and Battery Osceola was added to the south casemate. The battery consisted of two 12-inch M1895 guns . The Civil War-era guns were used as fill, being buried within the new battery to save on materials. Battery Adair

295-437: A number of notable universities, public and private, whose research exert influence globally. Chief among public universities are: There are a number of well-known private institutions, as well. Notable among these are: The region is home to the greatest number of historically black colleges and universities in the nation. The three largest in the region are: There are nine National Football League (NFL) franchises across

354-565: A spur of new economic growth in the 1930s, which stemmed from New Deal policies such as the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Fair Labor Standards Act instituting a minimum wage for the entire nation. World War II further helped growth within the Southeast, as military bases and military production drew workers from farming or low-wage industries into a new economy. With farming mechanization picking up to speed in

413-455: Is abundant across the southeastern United States in summer, as the rainfall often comes in quick, but intense downpours. The mid-South, especially Tennessee, and the northern halves of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, have maximum monthly rainfall amounts in winter and spring, owing to copious Gulf moisture and clashes between warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air from Canada during

472-746: Is also an NCAA Division I conference made up of Southeastern college teams, including the: Alabama Crimson Tide , Arkansas Razorbacks , Auburn Tigers , Florida Gators , Georgia Bulldogs , Kentucky Wildcats , LSU Tigers , Ole Miss Rebels , Mississippi State Bulldogs , South Carolina Gamecocks , Tennessee Volunteers , and Vanderbilt Commodores . The Sugar Bowl , Orange Bowl , Peach Bowl , Citrus Bowl , and Music City Bowl , are notable college football bowls held in Southeastern cities. 34°N 85°W  /  34°N 85°W  / 34; -85 William H. French William Henry French (January 13, 1815 – May 20, 1881)

531-451: Is no official U.S. government definition for the region, and it is defined variably among agencies and organizations. The history of the present-day Southeastern United States dates to the dawn of civilization in approximately 11,000 BC or 13,000 BC. The earliest artifacts from the region were from the Clovis culture . Prior to the arrival of European colonialists, Native Americans occupied

590-662: The American Southeast or simply the Southeast , is a geographical region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and the southern portion of the Eastern United States . The region includes a core of states that reaches north to Maryland and West Virginia , bordering the Ohio River and Mason–Dixon line , and stretches west to Arkansas and Louisiana . There

649-662: The Atlantic coast ... than to the State of Florida. There is only a feeble company at Key West for the defense of Fort Taylor." At midnight on January 13, 1861, Union Captain John Milton Brannan moved his 44 men of the 1st U.S. Artillery Regiment from Key West Barracks to Fort Taylor. Despite having no orders to do so, Captain Brannan took the initiative in manning the fort to prevent it from falling into Confederate hands. It became

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708-644: The Confederate-aligned state authorities as they requested. Instead, he moved his men to the mouth of the Río Grande in sixteen days and sailed to Key West , where he quartered at the Federal military post there, Fort Zachary Taylor . Shortly thereafter, he was elevated to major and assumed command of the base. In conjunction with the Union Navy , he was instrumental in shutting off Key West to slave traders. He

767-541: The Martello Gallery-Key West Art and Historical Museum . The fort was named for United States President Zachary Taylor in November 1850, a few months after his sudden death in office. The United States Army Corps of Engineers leased slaves from local slave-owners for construction of the fort and its neighbor Fort Jefferson . This resulted in an influx of enslaved peoples into the immediate area as, before

826-969: The Thirteen Colonies who sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia , which declared independence from the British Crown , which was established with the colonies' victory over the British in the American Revolutionary War . During the American Civil War , the Confederate States of America consisted of the southeastern states of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Texas

885-468: The Truman Annex to Naval Air Station Key West . It was originally a separate major installation known as Naval Station Key West and, until it closed in 1974, included a submarine base. President Harry S. Truman used Naval Station Key West as his Winter White House for a total of 175 days over 11 visits. The United States Secret Service had a private beach (eventually named after Truman) built on

944-662: The United States Virgin Islands , and Virginia . There is no official United States Census Bureau definition of the Southeastern United States. They instead divide a larger region which includes Texas , Oklahoma , Maryland , Delaware , Washington, D.C., and West Virginia , designated as "the South," into three separate subregions, none of which are conventionally considered to define the Southeast. The nonprofit American Association of Geographers defines

1003-572: The United States government recognized the importance of holding Fort Taylor if the Southern states seceded. An official report to the United States Secretary of War on December 28, 1860, stated that: " Lieutenant-General Scott will further ask the attention of the Secretary to Forts Jefferson and Taylor, which are wholly national, being of far greater value even to the most distant points of

1062-438: The 1940s, promotion of different industries, and federal spending on defense and space programs, the Southeast saw further economic transformation in the ensuing years and decades of the 20th century. The Southeast benefitted from its business and warm climate in its population growth during the late 20th century, as it helped in attracting job seekers and retirees from other U.S. regions. Florida in particular went from being

1121-550: The 27th most populated U.S. state in 1940 with 1.9 million residents, to being the 4th most populated U.S. state and having nearly 13 million residents in 2000 . Southeast states such as North Carolina and Georgia saw large population growth increases as well during the late 20th century. The United States Geological Survey defines Southeastern United States as including the states of Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , South Carolina , Tennessee , Puerto Rico ,

1180-910: The 2nd Artillery on the Pacific Coast from 1865 until 1872, including an assignment as commander of Fort McDowell in San Francisco Bay . In 1875, he was appointed the commander of Fort McHenry near Baltimore. In July 1880, at his own request, being over sixty-two years of age, he was retired. French died in Washington, D.C., and is buried there in Rock Creek Cemetery . He married Caroline Read (1820–1884). They had six children: Frank French (1842–1865), William H. French (1844–1923), Anna French Clem (1852–1899), Frederick French (1855–1906), George French (1857–1895), and Rosalie French Conklin (1861–1891). His grandson, John French Conklin (1891–1973),

1239-653: The 53 °F (12 °C) range. As one nears the Gulf of Mexico, coastal plain, and coastal areas of Georgia and the Carolinas, winters become warm, with daytime highs near or over 60 °F (16 °C). Once in Florida, daytime highs are above 70 °F (21 °C) from just south of St. Augustine on the Atlantic coast and Clearwater on the Gulf Of Mexico. Extreme southern Florida has the warmest winter temperatures (mid 70's F) in

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1298-761: The Atlanta area; the two largest research parks in the country: Research Triangle Park in the Triangle area of North Carolina (the world's largest) and the Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Alabama (the world's fourth largest); corporate headquarters of Bank of America , Truist Financial , and Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina , the corporate headquarters of Verso Paper and FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee as well as

1357-494: The Charlotte area along with the sports operations headquarters and media outlets. Tracks in the region include Atlanta Motor Speedway , Bristol Motor Speedway , Charlotte Motor Speedway , Darlington Raceway , Daytona International Speedway , Homestead-Miami Speedway , Martinsville Speedway , Nashville Superspeedway , North Wilkesboro Speedway , Richmond Raceway , and Talladega Superspeedway . The southeast also hosts two of

1416-664: The District of Harpers Ferry during the Gettysburg Campaign , but shortly after Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg , French assumed command of the battered III Corps . His military reputation was ruined during the Mine Run Campaign in November 1863 when Maj. Gen. George G. Meade claimed that French's corps moved too slowly to exploit a potential advantage over Gen. Robert E. Lee . This engagement

1475-578: The North of Fort Taylor, which it uses primarily to support of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S). The site also supported Naval Security Group Activity Key West (NAVSECGRUACT KEY WEST) until NAVSECGRUACT's decommissioning in 1996. In addition to the role of the fort and its adjacent beach as tourist attractions, Fort Taylor is also the location of a number of annual events, including week-long Civil War reenactments . Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States , also known as

1534-572: The South to have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States. In Alabama, there is the large-scale manufacturing project owned by the German steel megacorporation ThyssenKrupp , which operates a massive, state-of-the-art facility in Mobile . Even with certain states and areas in the Southeast doing well economically, many Southeast states and areas still have a high poverty rate when compared to

1593-581: The Southeast, out of a total of ten such areas in the United States: Two others tie some areas on the margins of the Southeast to urban centers in other regions: These are the combined statistical areas of the Southeastern region which exceed 1  million in population according to the United States Census Bureau 's 2016 estimates. Note that the metropolitan areas of Tampa and Richmond are not included in any CSAs, so they are included in

1652-688: The Southeast: the Atlanta Braves , Baltimore Orioles , Miami Marlins , Tampa Bay Rays , and Washington Nationals . The Southeast has five National Hockey League (NHL) franchises: the Carolina Hurricanes , Florida Panthers , Nashville Predators , Tampa Bay Lightning , and Washington Capitals . Major League Soccer currently holds six clubs: Atlanta United FC , Charlotte FC , DC United , Inter Miami CF , Nashville SC and Orlando City SC . The majority of NASCAR teams are headquartered in

1711-417: The Southeastern United States as including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The OSBO (Organization Supporting Business Owners) uses the same states, but includes Arkansas and Louisiana. The states of Delaware and Missouri , along with the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., are also sometimes added in definitions of

1770-479: The U.S. nationally. In 2017, seven Southeast states were in the top ten nationwide when it came to having the highest poverty rate. Research Triangle Park in the Raleigh–Durham urban area of North Carolina, has emerged as a major hub of technology, governmental, and biotechnological research and development. The Cummings Research Park in the Huntsville, Alabama area, is the second-largest research complex in

1829-458: The United States is dominated by the humid subtropical climate (Cfa/Cwa). As one nears the southern portion of Florida, the climate gradually becomes tropical, as the winter season and all months have a mean temperature above 64.4 °F (18.0 °C) (the defined coldest monthly mean temperature of tropical climates). Seasonally, summers are generally hot and humid throughout the entire region. The Bermuda High pumps hot and moist air mass from

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1888-483: The United States. Winters tend to be very dry and sunny across Florida, with a gradual increase in winter rainfall with increasing latitude, especially west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Southeast economically has changed dramatically since the late 20th century. There has been a boom in its service economy , manufacturing base, high technology industries, and the financial sector. Examples of this include

1947-624: The cold season. In this area, December, March, or April are typically the wettest months; August to October, the driest months (for example, in Tupelo, MS , Huntsville, AL and Memphis, TN ). Winters are cool in the northern areas like Tennessee , Virginia , Maryland , and western North Carolina , with average high temperatures in the 45 °F (7 °C) range in January. Farther south, winters become milder across interior eastern North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, with average January highs in

2006-552: The construction of the fort, there were no large agricultural ventures and thus not a high demand for slaves, marine salvage being the main industry. By some estimates, the number more than quadrupled from fewer than 90 enslaved people in Key West before construction to over 400 after. The fort's foundation consists of oolitic limestone and New England granite . Its 5-foot (1.5 m) thick walls rose 50 feet (15 m) above mean low water and included two tiers of casemates with

2065-978: The corporate headquarters of the Coca Cola Company , Delta Airlines , the Home Depot and United Parcel Service in Atlanta , Georgia. Dillards , along with Heifer International , is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas . Walmart is also headquartered in Arkansas . In 2020, Fortune 500 companies having headquarters in the Southeast region include: 22 in Virginia, 18 in Georgia, 18 in Florida, 13 in North Carolina, and 10 in Tennessee. This economic expansion has enabled parts of

2124-420: The fastest-growing area of the United States economically. Multiculturalism has become more mainstream in the Southeastern states. African Americans remain a dominant demographic, at around 30% of the total population of the Southeast. Cities along this corridor from north to south include Raleigh-Durham area, Greensboro, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta, and Montgomery. Most of the southeastern part of

2183-501: The fort to form what would be considered the nation's largest collection of Civil War cannons . Fort Taylor was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Due to the filling in of land around the fort, including the creation of an attractive stretch of beach , the park now occupies 87 acres (35 ha). The fort's land closer to downtown Key West became part of

2242-542: The land for Truman's security, but he reportedly only visited it once, preferring the public beaches. Naval Station Key West was decommissioned in 1974 as part of post- Vietnam War force reductions because the U.S. Navy had decommissioned nearly all of its diesel-electric submarines and nuclear-powered submarines were too large for the naval station's port. Most of the former naval station became an annex (the Truman Annex) to Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West and served as

2301-565: The landing point for many Cubans during the 1980 Mariel boatlift of Cuban refugees. Those buildings in the Truman Annex and associated real estate not retained by the Navy as part of NAS Key West were sold to private developers. A museum for the Truman White House was built and the Navy continues to own and maintain the piers and that portion of the former Naval Station Key West property to

2360-626: The largest cities in the Southeastern region of the United States by population, according to the United States Census Bureau in 2015: These are the metropolitan areas of the Southeastern region which exceed one million in population according to the United States Census Bureau 's 2023 estimates:as estimated by the United States Census Bureau Beyond Megalopolis by Virginia Tech 's Metropolitan Institute, an attempt to update Jean Gottmann 's work with current trends, defines two " megapolitan areas " contained within

2419-693: The nation. Located in Huntsville is the Redstone Arsenal , United States Army Missile Command , the U.S. Space & Rocket Center , NASA 's Marshall Space Flight Center and other key government, military, and aerospace agencies. Tullahoma, TN contains the Arnold Air Force Base. The base is home to the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities in

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2478-786: The region for several hundred years during the Woodland period . The first Europeans to arrive in the region were conquistadors associated with the Spanish Empire . In 1541, Hernando de Soto journeyed through the southeast and crossed the Mississippi River . The region hosted the first permanent European settlement in North America , with the Kingdom of England establishing Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Four southeast states, Georgia , North Carolina , South Carolina , and Virginia , were among

2537-603: The region: the Atlanta Falcons , Baltimore Ravens , Carolina Panthers , Jacksonville Jaguars , Miami Dolphins , New Orleans Saints , Tampa Bay Buccaneers , Tennessee Titans , and Washington Commanders . The Southeast has seven National Basketball Association (NBA) franchises: the Atlanta Hawks , Charlotte Hornets , Memphis Grizzlies , Miami Heat , New Orleans Pelicans , Orlando Magic , and Washington Wizards . Major League Baseball (MLB) maintains five teams in

2596-530: The surge in tourism in Florida and along the Gulf Coast ; the numerous new automobile production plants such as Mercedes-Benz in Tuscaloosa ; Hyundai in Montgomery ; Toyota Motors in Blue Springs, Mississippi ; Kia in West Point, Georgia ; BMW production plant in Greer, South Carolina ; Volkswagen in Chattanooga ; GM manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee ; with the Nissan North American headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee ; Mercedes-Benz USA ; and Porsche North American headquarters in

2655-406: The table without constituent areas. The predominant culture of the Southeast U.S. has its origins with the settlement of the region by European colonists and African slaves during the 17th to 19th centuries, as large groups of English , Scottish , Scotch-Irish , Germans , Spanish , French , and Acadians migrated to the region. Since the late 20th century, the " New South " has emerged as

2714-425: The term. The most populous states in the region as of the 2020 United States census are: Florida (21,538,187), followed by Georgia (10,711,908), and North Carolina (10,439,388). Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are located southeast of Florida, and are considered to be in the South / Southeastern U.S. by the FAA , Agricultural Research Service , and the U.S. National Park Service . These are

2773-666: The three legs of the American Triple Crown : the Kentucky Derby in Louisville , and the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore . The Derby is considered the western leg of the crown and the Preakness is traditionally considered the southern leg. The Atlantic Coast Conference is an NCAA Division I conference with many Southeastern college teams, including the: Clemson Tigers , Duke Blue Devils , Florida State Seminoles , Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets , Louisville Cardinals , Miami Hurricanes , North Carolina Tar Heels , NC State Wolfpack , Virginia Cavaliers , Virginia Tech Hokies , and Wake Forest Demon Deacons . The Southeastern Conference

2832-439: The tropical Atlantic Ocean and eastern Gulf of Mexico westward toward the southeast United States, creating the typical sultry tropical summers. Daytime highs are often in the upper 80s to lower 90s F. Rainfall is summer concentrated along the Gulf Coast and the South Atlantic coast from Norfolk, Virginia southward, reaching a sharp summer monsoon -like pattern over peninsular Florida, with dry winters and wet summers. Sunshine

2891-427: The two filing numerous charges against each other with U.S. Army authorities. After Florida, French served on frontier duty until 1861. He was the co-author of Instruction for Field Artillery (1860), along with William F. Barry and Henry J. Hunt . At the start of the Civil War, Captain French and the 1st U.S. Artillery were stationed at Fort Duncan , Eagle Pass, Texas . He refused to surrender his garrison to

2950-430: The world. The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida , is the largest laboratory in the world devoted to the study of magnetism. The University of South Carolina is currently constructing a research campus in downtown Columbia , and the university is the nation's only National Science Foundation -funded Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Fuel Cells . The region includes

3009-480: Was aide-de-camp to General Franklin Pierce , and also on the staff of General Robert Patterson . He was engaged in the siege of Vera Cruz , and received two brevet promotions for bravery: to captain for Cerro Gordo and to major for Contreras and Churubusco . Between 1850 and 1852, he again served against the Seminole Indians in Florida and was the commanding officer of Stonewall Jackson . The two disagreed often and French's assignment with Jackson led to

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3068-411: Was a Confederate State that isn't defined as part of the southeast region. Missouri and Kentucky had dual competing Unionist and Confederate state governments in the Confederate government of Missouri and Confederate government of Kentucky , while Maryland and Delaware were neutral southern border states that remained with the Union . West Virginia split from Virginia during 1863, and also served as

3127-424: Was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General in the American Civil War . He rose to temporarily command a corps within the Army of the Potomac , but was relieved of active field duty following poor performance by his command during the Mine Run Campaign in late 1863. He remained in the Army and went on to command several Army installations before his retirement in 1880. William H. French

3186-501: Was added to the west casemate and included four 3-inch M1898 15-pounder rapid-fire rifles . The fort was heavily used again during the Spanish–American War (1898), World War I (1917–1918), World War II (1941–1945), and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). No longer of use to the U.S. Army, the fort was turned over to the United States Navy in 1947 for maintenance. In 1968, volunteers led by Howard S. England excavated Civil War guns and ammunition buried in long-abandoned parts of

3245-413: Was born in Baltimore . He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1837 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 1st U.S. Artillery. He briefly served in the Second Seminole War and was then assigned to garrison duty along the Canada–US border from late 1837 through 1838, when he was reassigned to other military posts for the next decade. During the Mexican–American War , French

3304-425: Was collected in underground cisterns along the perimeter of the fort. Yellow fever epidemics and material shortages slowed construction of the fort, which continued throughout the 1850s. The Pensacola , Florida, firm of Raiford and Abercrombie provided bricks for Fort Zachary Taylor and Fort Jefferson, which was under construction at the same time. Even before the onset of the American Civil War in April 1861,

3363-454: Was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers as of September 28, 1861, and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac , where he commanded a brigade of the II Corps in the Peninsula Campaign . He was engaged at the battles of Yorktown , Seven Pines , Oak Grove , Gaines' Mill , Garnett's & Golding's Farm , Savage's Station , Glendale , and Malvern Hill . French received praise in official reports for his actions and leadership, and

3422-411: Was promoted to command a division during the Northern Virginia Campaign . French commanded the 3rd Division of the II Corps at the Battle of Antietam , making the first attack on Confederate units in the Sunken Road. He was promoted to major general on November 29, 1862. He led his division in the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville . French commanded elements of the VIII Corps and

3481-409: Was the last for the III Corps, which was reorganized out of the Union Army in the spring of 1864, and French was mustered out of volunteer service on May 6, 1864. He remained in the regular army , and for the remainder of the war, he served on military boards in Washington, D.C. French ended the war with the regular army rank of colonel of the 4th U.S. Artillery. Following the war, French commanded

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