Time Travel in Tallahassee
by Ben Gunter
On May 29-31, 2026, hundreds of people from all over the country traveled to Tallahassee to experience “Time Travel into Florida 1776.” This forward-looking festival used Florida’s surprising role in the American Revolution to add new dimensions and depth to America 250 celebrations.
Festivalgoers found out firsthand that both East Florida and West Florida, with capitals in St. Augustine and Pensacola respectively and territory stretching all the way to the Mississippi River, stayed loyal to Great Britain in 1776. Time-travelers are still talking about the fascinating historical characters they met, the wide range of family-friendly festivities they enjoyed, and the new play about Feuding Families in Florida they saw in its world premiere.
Historical characters who played prominent roles in the Festival included supporters of King George like John and Nelly Moultrie, the Lieutenant Governor and Second Lady of British East Florida in 1776. The Moultries went down in history as British Florida’s most popular party people; in Tallahassee, they hosted the 3-day festival. Also present was the Lieutenant Governor’s youngest brother Alexander Moultrie, who supported George Washington, joined the South Carolina militia to fight against King George, and ended up in Florida as a prisoner of war, with his own brother as his parole officer.
Adding spice and historical accuracy were beautifully-dressed founding mothers like Dolly Murray Forbes, wife of the Anglican priest in St. Augustine; well-researched Native characters like Chief Cowkeeper, leader of the Seminole warriors who fought for the British; young Floridians like 10-year-old Miss Liberty from Anaica, who survived the smallpox epidemic that killed her family thanks to inoculation by an indigenous woman; and intriguing double agents like James and Sylvia Lafayette, who used their trusted status as Black servants working for British officers to spy for George Washington.
Festivities ran the gamut from scholarly reports to stirring reenactments, with activities aimed at children, adults, and whole families stepping back into the past together. Pulitzer-Prize winning historian Kathleen DuVal shared highlights from her research on people from the Gulf Coast changing the course of the Revolutionary War. Pony express riders Dan & Chris Dunlop galloped in with breaking news about Patriot victories in North and South Carolina during 1776, putting Florida in danger of invasion. Swannee River Fife & Drum led parades that followed flags for the United Colonies and for the United Kingdom.
Between parades, news flashes, and research reports, children could craft their own tricorns and mobcaps to take home, decorate gingerbread soldiers as militiamen for George Washington or King George, and win prizes by coloring flags, visiting petting zoos, and finding the Revolutionary Cow Camp and shaking hands with Revolutionary Cow Hunters to complete a Time Travel Passport. Adults could practice dance steps to show off in the Pursuit of Happiness Costume Ball, sample the teas tossed into the sea during the Boston Tea Party, and learn why tea was considered a “Wicked Weed” by Patriots. Whole families could listen spellbound to stories by Cherokee storyteller Wayne Winding Eagle and the history of Emancipation as told by African griots Monilita, and everyone got to sample historical cakes and ice creams as the Moultries celebrated King George III’s 38th birthday.
At the heart of all this history-making fun stood a brand-new play, Feuding Families in Florida 1776. Like game shows on TV, the play invites members of the audience to win prizes by solving puzzles – puzzles about Florida during the American Revolution. And guess what? The gameshow is getting ready to tour!
That means it’s not too late for you to Time Travel into Florida 1776. Starting July 31, Theater with a Mission (TWAM) will be posting video from the Festival at TheaterwithaMission.com, letting you enjoy crafts, parades, lectures, workshops, and reenactments in their original setting at Tallahassee’s historic Goodwood Museum & Gardens. Starting August 15, Feuding Families in Florida will be available to tour high schools and community centers all around the region. Visit the website! Invite a TWAM Time Travel adventure into your community!
