Dr. J. Michael Francis explores the early history of colonial St. Augustine, focusing on the rich corpus of baptism, confirmation, marriage, and death records housed in St. Augustine’s Diocesan Archive. With documents that date back to 1594, the parish records provide a unique lens through which to examine the city’s distant past and the diverse population that shaped its history. Dr Francis will highlight some of the stories that emerge from the badly damaged pages, and he will introduce audience members to a digital archive that provides unparalleled public access to this remarkable collection. Dr. Francis wrote about the extensive project in the Fall 2022 issue of FORUM, the magazine of Florida Humanities. To learn more about La Florida visit: laflorida.org

Dr. J. Michael Francis received his Ph.D. in History in 1998 from the University of Cambridge. Between 1997 and 2012, he taught at the University of North Florida. In 2012, Dr. Francis was named the Hough Family Chair of Florida Studies at the USF St. Petersburg campus and was Chair of the Department of History and Politics from 2016-2020. He was appointed to the Florida Historical Commission in 2021 by Florida Governor DeSantis. That same year, Spain’s King Philip VI bestowed upon Dr. Francis the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, one of the country’s most prestigious civil orders.

In Person and Live Stream at vimeo.com/event/3246303