Florida in the 1940s was a state of intense activity and stark contrasts. World War II turned the peninsula into a massive military camp. The government built over 170 military installations across the flat landscape. Soldiers from all over the country arrived at places like Camp Blanding and the Pensacola Naval Air Station. On the Atlantic coast, residents followed strict blackout rules. They painted the top half of their car headlights black and pulled heavy curtains over their windows at night. These measures prevented German submarines from seeing the silhouettes of ships against the city lights.
The citrus industry served as the backbone of the rural economy. Millions of boxes of oranges and grapefruits were processed into canned juice for soldiers overseas. In the central part of the state, cowboys known as “cracker” cowmen moved large herds of cattle across open ranges. These men used long braided leather whips that made a loud cracking sound in the humid air. Most homes lacked air conditioning during this decade. Families relied on high ceilings and large screened-in porches to survive the summer heat. They burned smudge pots filled with damp wood to keep clouds of mosquitoes away from their doorsteps.
Tourism continued in cities like Miami and St. Petersburg despite wartime restrictions. Visitors arrived by train at grand stations to visit the growing number of roadside attractions. They stopped at parrot jungles and reptile farms that lined the two-lane highways. Social life was governed by strict segregation laws that separated Black and white residents in all public spaces. Black Floridians built their own vibrant communities and business districts, such as the Overtown neighborhood in Miami. By the end of the 1940s, the state began to change rapidly as new residents arrived to work in the growing aviation and tech industries. Mosquito control programs became more common, allowing for the development of formerly swampy land near the coast.
