Tampa, Florida

===U.S. control===
[[File:Ft. Brooke Cannon.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|right|A surviving Ft. Brooke cannon on the [[University of Tampa]] campus]]

After purchasing Florida from Spain in 1821, the United States built [[Fortification|forts]] and [[trading post]]s in the new territory.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/07/Tampabay/Excavators_seeking_fr.shtml |title=Excavators seeking freedom pioneers |newspaper=St. Pete Times |access-date=April 17, 2011 |archive-date=September 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901175153/http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/07/Tampabay/Excavators_seeking_fr.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Fort Brooke]] was established in January 1824 at the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Tampa Bay, in [[Downtown Tampa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museumofcigars.com/fort-brooke.htm |title=Fort Brooke |publisher=Museumofcigars.com |access-date=February 23, 2010 |archive-date=January 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105034735/http://www.museumofcigars.com/fort-brooke.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Fortbrooke.jpg|thumb|[[Fort Brooke]] circa 1840|center|196x196px]]

Tampa was initially an isolated frontier outpost. The sparse civilian population practically abandoned the area during the [[Second Seminole War]] from 1835 to 1842, after which the Seminoles were forced out and many settlers returned.<ref>Brown, Cantor. ''Tampa Before the Civil War''. [[University Press of Florida]].</ref>

[[Territory of Florida|Florida]] became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. On January 18, 1849, Tampa was officially incorporated as the "Village of Tampa." It was home to 185 civilians, or 974 total residents including military personnel, in 1850.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city-travel-guide.co.uk/travel-guide/tampa-florida-travel-guide.html |title=Tampa travel guide&nbsp;– Tampa tourism and travel information |publisher=City-travel-guide.co.uk |access-date=February 23, 2010 |archive-date=August 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830053628/http://www.city-travel-guide.co.uk/travel-guide/tampa-florida-travel-guide.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf |title=1850 Census of Population |access-date=April 17, 2011 |archive-date=October 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026062601/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Tampa was reincorporated as a town on December 15, 1855.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tampagov.net/dept_City_Clerk/Information_resources/previous_mayors/joseph_lancaster.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615171102/http://www.tampagov.net/dept_City_Clerk/Information_resources/previous_mayors/joseph_lancaster.asp |archive-date=June 15, 2008 |title=Joseph B. Lancaster&nbsp;– 1st Mayor of Tampa |publisher=Tampagov.net |access-date=February 23, 2010}}</ref>