Napoleon B. Broward facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Napoleon Bonaparte Broward
19th Governor of Florida
In office January 3, 1905 – January 5, 1909
Preceded by	William S. Jennings
Succeeded by	Albert W. Gilchrist
Personal details
Born	(1857-04-19)April 19, 1857 Duval County, Florida, U.S.
Died	October 1, 1910(1910-10-01) (aged 53) Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Georgiana Carolina Kemp ​ ​ (m. 1883; her death 1883)​ Annie Isabell Douglass ​ (m. 1887)​
Children	10 (1 with Kemp, 9 with Douglass)
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Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (born April 19, 1857 – died October 1, 1910) was an American river pilot, ship captain, and important politician. He became the 19th governor of Florida, serving from 1905 to 1909. He is best known for his big project to drain parts of the Everglades. This was done to create more land for farming. As governor, he worked with the U.S. government to get money for this huge project.

Before becoming governor, Broward was the sheriff of Duval County, Florida. He also served in the Florida House of Representatives. He was part of a political group called the Straightouts. This group was linked to the Populist movement within the Democratic Party in Florida.

Early Life and River Adventures

Napoleon Broward's parents were American, and his family had French roots. He grew up on family farms along the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. During the American Civil War, Union soldiers burned his family's first farm. After the war, his family faced tough times.

Both of Broward's parents died when he was young. He and his brother took care of the family farm for a few years. Then, they moved to the city to live with their uncle.

Broward's first job was working on the river with his uncle, Joe Parsons. He did small jobs on his uncle's steamboat during the summer. After finishing high school in 1876, Broward became a ship's mate. He traveled to New England and worked on ships there for two years. He returned home as a strong young man, standing over six feet tall.

In 1878, Broward came back to Jacksonville. He started working on tugboats on the St. Johns River. This helped him learn a lot about captains and shipping businesses.

Broward married Georgiana Carolina "Carrie" Kemp in January 1883. She was the daughter of a ship captain. That spring, he got a special license to guide ships over the St. Johns Bar. This was a tricky sandbar at the river's mouth. Guiding ships safely over it was a very good way to earn money. Sadly, his wife and their baby son passed away shortly after their marriage.

By 1885, he was back on the St. Johns River. He was piloting his father-in-law's steamboat, the Kate Spencer. On this ship, he met Annie Isabell Douglass, who was also a boat captain's daughter. They married in 1887. They had nine children together:

• Annie Dorcas Broward Starrett (1889–1923)
• Josephine Broward Beckley (1892–1970)
• Enid Lyle Broward Hardee (1894–1943)
• Elsie Hortense Broward Dumas (1896–1948)
• Ella Jeanette Broward Shevlin (1899–1961)
• Agnes Carolyn Broward Craig (1901–1995)
• Florida Douglass Broward Segrest (1904–1988)
• Elizabeth Hutchison Broward Crawford (1906–1992)
• Napoleon Bonaparte Broward III (1910–1989)

Starting in Politics

Broward became known as a skilled pilot and captain. In January 1888, the city's sheriff was removed from office after a big prison break. Local Democratic leaders chose Broward to be the new sheriff. The governor appointed him on February 27. In less than a month, Broward became well-known across the state.

Broward soon became active in city politics. In the early 1890s, the Democratic Party in Florida had some disagreements. Two main groups formed in Jacksonville. These groups later became the main political sides across the state: the Antis and the Straightouts. The Antis were more traditional and supported businesses. The Straightouts were allied with farmers and the Populists. Broward joined the Straightout group.

In the 1892 election, the Straightouts, led by Broward, won many city offices. Broward remained sheriff. However, the Antis continued to fight for power. Two years later, the disagreement between the groups grew even bigger. Both sides accused each other of cheating in elections. The Antis, who held most state offices, won this power struggle. Broward was replaced as sheriff when the Antis gained control of the city again.

Helping Cuba's Fight for Freedom

In 1895, Broward, his brother, and a friend started building a new steamboat called The Three Friends. While the boat was being built, Cuban rebels began fighting for independence from Spain. A leader from Jacksonville's Cuban community asked Broward to secretly ship weapons and Cuban people from Nassau to Cuba. Broward agreed. In January 1896, The Three Friends left Jacksonville on its first trip, heading for Cuba.

Broward continued helping the Cuban rebels until President William McKinley declared war on Spain. Spanish warships almost caught and destroyed Broward's boat several times. The Spanish ambassador to the United States knew about Broward and demanded that he be stopped. U.S. authorities tried to catch him, but Broward was clever. He would load The Three Friends at night in hidden places. He would also hide his boat behind larger ships when leaving the St. Johns River. He would pick up Cubans and weapons from other ships near the river's mouth. Broward was open about helping the Cubans and became famous for his brave actions.

Back to Politics

In 1896, the Straightouts offered to nominate Broward for sheriff again. But he was busy helping Cuba and said no. In 1900, the war ended, and his days of helping the rebels were over.

Broward then accepted the Democratic nomination for the State House of Representatives. He was elected easily. In the House, Broward supported many new ideas. The most important law he supported was the Primary Election Law.

Broward had long wanted a primary election system. This system would let voters choose candidates directly, instead of a small group of leaders choosing them. A strong bill was created in the House, which Broward strongly supported. Even though the Senate made the bill weaker, it still passed.

Broward was smart about politics. He supported the "common man" and opposed how powerful businessman Henry Flagler controlled the party. Since most black voters were prevented from voting and Florida was mostly a one-party state, Flagler's control meant his group controlled the state government. Broward wanted to take power away from the big leaders.

Campaigning for Governor

Broward did not run for the House again in 1902. He was busy with a salvage operation in the Florida Keys. In the summer of 1903, he decided to run for governor. Many people had asked him to run for the office. Since the party needed a candidate who supported common people, he agreed.

Broward was never rich and often owed money. The groups who supported common people did not have much money. But the groups who supported businesses had most of the money, most of the newspapers, and controlled the major cities.

Broward said about his chances: "I won't focus on the cities. Their newspapers are against me, and they don't take me seriously. But I'm going to visit every small village between Fernandina and Pensacola. I'll talk to the farmers and the crackers and show them their minds are for thinking, not just holding hats. I'm going to make them pay attention and think. They won't mind if my grammar isn't perfect if they see I'm talking common sense."

Broward started campaigning right away. His strongest opponent was Robert Wyche Davis, who was supported by the railroads and Flagler. Broward attacked Davis for being a "railroad man." Davis and the city newspapers often made fun of Broward, saying his ideas were old-fashioned.

The biggest issue in the campaign was draining the Everglades. This idea was first looked at by the current governor, William S. Jennings. Broward strongly supported draining the Everglades. When he campaigned, he carried a map showing the different parts of the Everglades. If he felt he was losing an argument about drainage, he would point to his map and say, "Water will run downhill!"

Davis and Broward easily moved on to the second primary election. The campaign became more intense. Broward used Davis's voting record in Congress to show his ties to the railroads. Broward did not get many votes from city people or businesses. Davis could not win support from farmers or rural voters. On election day, Broward's rural supporters gave him the primary victory by only 600 votes out of 45,000. The main election a few weeks later was quiet, and Broward became governor on January 3, 1905.

As Governor of Florida

Broward's biggest goal as governor was to drain the Everglades. At that time, people thought the Everglades were just a useless swamp. They didn't understand its important natural role. Early in his term, many people criticized Broward for his drainage plan and the land tax he created to pay for it. One newspaper joked, "The treasury will be drained before the Everglades."

As the drainage work continued, Broward started taking his strongest critics on trips to the Everglades. He showed them the work that had been done and how it was helping. John Beard, one of Broward's biggest opponents, was eventually convinced that the land was good for farming and that the drainage was working.

Broward became well-known across the country because of this huge project. As his time as governor went on, Broward worked more with leaders in Washington, D.C. He gained federal money for the drainage project. He even brought President Teddy Roosevelt to the Everglades to see the drainage areas. Roosevelt strongly supported the drainage and became an important helper for the program.

Broward also worked on other problems. He focused on improving education and upgrading the state universities. He helped pass a bill that closed some schools and created a group to decide where the remaining schools should be. There was a big debate about where to put the main state university, which was then in Lake City. The Control Board, which included Broward, chose Gainesville as the new location for the main university.

In 1905, Broward tried to pass a bill to create state life insurance for citizens. He also wanted to set up an Insurance Commission. However, the legislature voted this bill down. Broward also supported ideas to create a state textbook commission, improve the state hospital system, and make the state's Railroad Commission a permanent body.

In December 1907, U.S. Senator Stephen R. Mallory, Jr. suddenly died. Broward appointed William James Bryan, who was already running for the seat, to fill the empty spot. Newspapers criticized his choice because Bryan was only 31 years old.

After Being Governor

In February 1908, Senator Bryan became sick and died in March, which shocked the state. Broward then appointed William Hall Milton to the position. Milton promised not to run for the seat in November. However, Broward soon announced that he was a candidate for the Senate himself. This arrangement was criticized, but Broward campaigned against his opponents, including his old rival John Beard and Jacksonville mayor Duncan U. Fletcher. Broward won the first primary election and moved on to the second primary against Fletcher.

Broward's friend John Stockton also made it to the second primary in the governor's race. He was running against General Albert Gilchrist. Fletcher was an older politician who had similar ideas to Broward. Gilchrist was seen as being too close to the railroads. Broward campaigned for Stockton for governor as much as he campaigned for himself.

Both Broward and Stockton lost their elections. Newspapers across the state announced the end of the "Broward era." The Everglades drainage project seemed like it might stop. But Broward was not finished. The 1908 Democratic National Convention was going to be held in Denver. Broward planned to go. For months, newspapers across the South mentioned Broward as a possible candidate for Vice President. He was known across the country for his drainage work and his earlier actions helping Cuba. When he arrived in Denver, he was greeted with signs that said: "Bryan, Broward, and Bread." An article in the Denver Post spoke highly of him, saying he would be an excellent choice. However, the presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan, wanted someone from the Midwest. Even though the crowd at the convention supported Broward, Bryan chose his own candidate.

The 1908 election results were not all bad for Broward. Fletcher, as senator, still supported some progressive ideas and remained friends with Broward. Gilchrist, who became governor, turned out to be more supportive of common people than expected. He became a strong supporter of draining the Everglades.

In 1910, Senator James Taliaferro's seat was up for election. Big city newspapers supported Taliaferro for re-election. But Broward soon entered the race against him. The election was expected to be exciting, but it was so quiet that news about Halley's Comet pushed election news off the front page. Broward and Taliaferro moved on to the second primary after a calm election.

The second primary campaign was also not very exciting, even though Broward traveled across the state to campaign. After a lively rally the night before the election, Broward won.

Tired from the campaign, Broward went home with his family to Fort George Island near Jacksonville. In late September, Broward became sick with gallstones. This had been a problem for months, but Broward had been too busy for surgery. He was in the hospital for a few days and died just before he was going to have surgery. He was buried on October 4.

The Florida Times-Union newspaper wrote:

"Today there are thousands who, like the 'Times-Union,' always opposed the big man so recently crowned with laurel and now clothed in a shroud, who see so clearly the qualities that all admired, that past differences refuse to intrude, and the opponent craves a place among the mourners."

His most important legacy was the draining of the Everglades. Today, many people see this as a big environmental mistake. However, Broward's supporters believe his efforts were key to making Florida's citrus industry very strong around the world.

Views on Race

In 1907, Broward suggested that every black person should be moved out of Florida. He was described as someone who supported segregation, which means keeping different racial groups separate.

In September 2017, a lawyer named Bill Gelin found a forgotten document written by Broward. It might have been a speech he gave. In it, Broward asked Congress to buy land, either in the U.S. or another country. He wanted to use this land to buy property from black people at a fair price and then move them to this new territory. White people would not be allowed to live in this new nation, and black people would not be allowed to return to the United States. This idea was part of a 19th-century project called "colonization," which led to the founding of countries like Liberia.

Broward said, "White people have no time to make excuses for the shortcomings of the negro. And the negro has less inclination to work for one and be directed by one he considers exacting, to the extent that he must do a good day's work or pay for the bill of goods sold to him."

These comments led to calls for the removal of Broward's statue from the Broward County Courthouse. The statue was removed during the night of October 18–19, 2017, and put into storage.

Legacy and Namesakes

Many places are named after Napoleon Bonaparte Broward:

• The Napoleon Bonaparte Broward (Dames Point) Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida
• More than 30 roads in Florida, including Florida State Road 842, known as Broward Boulevard in the Fort Lauderdale area.
• A residence hall at Florida State University
• A residence hall at University of Florida is named for his wife, Annie Isabell Broward.
• Broward County, Florida
• Lake Broward, in Putnam County

Images for kids

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  Napoleon Broward's signature