Matthew Griffin makes Florida’s history tangible, bringing the state’s past to life through immersive reenactments.
Griffin has been giving presentations and participating in reenactments throughout Florida for the past 24 years dressed as one of the Black Seminoles who roamed Florida during the Second Seminole War from 1830s to 1840s.
“That time period is so fascinating to me,” he said. “There was so much stuff going on in Florida history. We have a lot of people who move to Florida who may not fully realize the complexity of history that took place here. I feel it gets glossed over a lot of times, so it’s important to share that history.
“Some of these stories are Hollywood quality as far as the suspense, the drama, the excitement, the horror,” Griffin said. “I think it’s unfortunate that some of these stories will never make it to the level where a large audience will know about them. Reenactments give you a snippet back in time and it’s a great way to immerse yourself in local history. History can help put things into perspective of why life is the way it is today, or offer lessons about challenges that people have faced in the past that we may be facing now.”
Griffin’s passion for history began with his grandparents and great-uncle.
“I was always around my grandparents and great-uncle watching old cowboy westerns like ‘The Lone Ranger,’ ‘The Gene Autry Show’ or ‘Hopalong Cassidy’,” he said. “My great-uncle had an interest in history, too, so he would tell me information about Black cowboys like the buffalo soldiers, which all feed into my love of history.”
Around 7 years old, Griffin was transported back in time when he and his uncle went to Dade Battlefield Historic State Park for the Dade’s Battle Reenactment Weekend, an annual two-day demonstration recreating Dade’s Battle of 1835, when Seminole Indians attacked Maj. Francis L. Dade and his men, leaving only three soldiers alive and marking the beginning of the Second Seminole War.
Describing his time watching the battle and making friends with the reenactors as “phenomenal,” Griffin said it was just the beginning of his journey roaming to reenactments.
“My uncle and I just started popping up at reenactments that we knew those folks were going to be at,” he said. “Eventually, they were like, ‘If you’re going to follow us around everywhere, you might as well participate, too.’”
Three years later, around the age of 10, Griffin returned to Dade Battlefiend Historic State Park and upgraded his role from spectator to reenactor.
Since then, he has participated in every Dade’s Battle Reenactment Weekend.
Griffin said Dade’s Battle Reenactment Weekend is about more than just the battle.
“You learn what it was like during day-to-day life within the social, economic and political climate,” Griffin said. “It’s a different element compared to reading a book or even watching a documentary. It can be an eye-opening experience for people, and especially for kids.
“When I was a kid watching the reenactments, there were the horses, the gunfire, all the different elements of that battle happening at the same time,” he said. “It all really piqued my interest and I had even more questions. Luckily, I had people around me who were more than eager to help feed into that interest for me.”
Griffin also has repeatedly participated in the Festival at Fort King in Ocala and the Battle of the Loxahatchee in Jupiter. And he recently shared his knowledge during presentations such as the Florida’s Eve of Emancipation event held on May 22 at Fort King National Historic Landmark.
Cynthia Wilson-Graham, an Ocala resident, said it was exciting to hear Griffin’s presentation on Black Seminoles during the Florida’s Eve of Emancipation event, adding she remembers first seeing Griffin as a teenage reenactor.
“I was happy and excited to know he has continued to carry on the legacy his family instilled in him,” she said. “It’s important to keep the history of Black Seminoles alive because it’s little-known history.”
Whether he is participating in a reenactment or sharing history during a presentation, Griffin always asks himself if the information he’s presenting is relevant, digestible and if it sparks enough interest in others to go do their own research.
“At the same time, I’m also trying to honor those people who went through these ordeals,” he said. “I feel that we are at risk of losing some of these stories forever, so I want to do justice in sharing their story.”
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@
thevillagesmedia.com.
