Free History Talk: Deborah Bauer on The Roots of Seminole County's History in the Colonial Period

Please join us for a special presentation entitled "Echoes of Empire: British East Florida and the Birth of Seminole County" by Dr. Deborah Bauer of Valencia College.
 

Her talk offers a compelling exploration into a little-known chapter of Florida’s colonial past, shedding light on how British imperial ambitions helped shape the foundations of modern-day Seminole County. It will revisit the often-overlooked story of East and West Florida—the 14th and 15th British colonies—established in 1763 following the British Crown’s Proclamation of 1763. Unlike the thirteen colonies that rebelled, East Florida remained loyal to the Crown throughout the American Revolution and is frequently left out of standard narratives of the era.

Drawing from historic records, maps, and land grants, Bauer will highlight the 1765 surveying expedition led by German-born cartographer John William Gerard de Brahm, who journeyed up the St. Johns River into what is now Seminole County. His resulting Map of East Florida offers one of the earliest recorded glimpses of the region by a European, chronicling a landscape just beginning to enter the imperial imagination.

Bauer’s talk also delves into the Crown’s land allotment program that granted vast tracts of land—often 20,000 acres—to British elites such as Sir Alexander Grant, John Beresford, and Captain John Jervis in areas that now include Lake Monroe, Lake Jesup, and Lake Harney. These early claims laid the groundwork for modern communities like Oviedo, Winter Springs, and Geneva.

As part of Seminole County’s broader efforts to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding in 2026, this talk connects local heritage to global empire, revolution, and the complex legacies of colonialism still felt in Central Florida today.

Dr. Bauer is a historian whose main area of expertise is Florida History. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Seminole Cultural Arts Council, a position she has held since January 2025. She is also a part-time faculty member at Valencia College in Orlando. She holds a doctoral degree from the University of South Florida in history and two Masters degrees from the University of North Florida and University of Central Florida. She is a proud alumna of Seminole State College. Bauer is a published author, having written several articles and book reviews about the history of Florida in such publications as The Florida Historical Quarterly, Florida Studies, and Southeastern Archaeology Bauer has served as the president of the Central Florida Anthropological Society since 2019. She has served on the Seminole County Historical Society Board of Directors since 2016 and is the founder and president of the Society for Historic Casselberry. Bauer was appointed to serve on the Seminole County Historical Commission in 2023 and was reappointed for a second two-year term in 2025. In June 2025, she was appointed to chair the Seminole County Semiquincentennial Planning Subcommittee (AKA Seminole250) with the goal of helping to coordinate plans for how Seminole County will celebrate the 250 anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026. She maintains a keen interest in helping to support many arts and cultural initiatives in Seminole County with a specific emphasis history, archaeology, education, and the written word.

Light refreshments will be served. The talk is free, and open to the public! For more information, please call 407-665-2489 or visit http://www.seminolecountyhistoricalsociety.com/.