DDH – Mullet Tossing

In celebration of Florida’s anniversary of becoming a State, I would like to present the most fun facts about Florida you may have never heard before. And some stuff about the Conquistadors and the Civil War… including the time honored tradition of Mullet Tossing… because? Florida!

The latest episode of Dave Does History on Bill Mick Live was a deep dive into Florida’s unique and often bizarre history, culminating in the legendary Mullet Toss competition—a Floridian spectacle where participants hurl dead fish across the Alabama state line. But before getting to the fish-flinging fun, Dave Bowman and Bill Mick covered everything from Florida’s statehood, Spanish explorers, Civil War role, and quirky state facts that prove Florida has always been one of the most fascinating places in America.

Dave kicked things off by revisiting Florida’s path to becoming the 27th state on March 3, 1845. Back then, Florida was nothing like the bustling tourism powerhouse it is today. It was a rugged, swampy frontier, home to alligators, cotton plantations, and ongoing battles with the Seminole tribes. The decision to admit Florida as a slave state required a political counterbalance, leading to Iowa’s simultaneous admission as a free state—a reflection of the pre-Civil War tensions gripping the nation.

The episode took a fascinating detour into Florida’s early Spanish exploration. One of the most incredible survival stories in history belongs to Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a member of Pánfilo de Narváez’s doomed 1528 expedition. De Vaca and his men landed near Tampa Bay, where things quickly fell apart—hostile indigenous tribes, disease, shipwrecks, and starvation wiped out nearly everyone. Only Cabeza de Vaca survived, spending eight years wandering across North America before returning to Spanish civilization.

Alongside this, Dave and Bill debunked the Fountain of Youth myth, explaining that Ponce de León was never actually searching for it—that legend came from later embellishments and historical misinterpretations.

Florida was one of the first states to secede from the Union in 1861, but its involvement in the Civil War was relatively minor. Instead of large-scale battles, Florida’s main contribution to the Confederacy was cattle and salt production—both crucial resources for the Southern war effort. After the war, Florida transformed into a booming state, drawing settlers, businesses, and eventually becoming the tourism hub we know today.

No episode of Dave Does History would be complete without some wild Florida trivia:

• • Florida was almost called “The Alligator State” instead of the “Sunshine State.”

• • St. Augustine (founded in 1565) is the oldest continuously inhabited European city in the U.S.

• • You can legally own a pet alligator in Florida—with a special permit.
  • There’s an annual “Mullet Toss” competition, where people throw dead fish into Alabama for fun.