Our
Florida Key West DUI lawyers have years of experience handling
cases of drunk driving throughout the state. In additional
to the knowlege gained while handling these cases they have
developed a lot of knowledge about the area they serve.
This page has information that some may find useful and
is simply provided by our Florida Key West DUI lawyers as
a courtesy.
If you find any of the information described below as incorrect,
please contact our attorneys and we will be glad to update
the details. In the meantime if you happen to require our
services as Key West DUI lawyers, please use the links above
to find out more information about our attorneys, our record
and how we can assist you.
One of the questions that we hear is "Who are Conchs?"
It is a term often used to refer to residents of Key West.
Some provide a distinction between someone born on Key West
(a Conch) and someone who has simply lived in Key West for
more than 7 years (a "Fresh Water Conch"). So
generally someone considered a native of Key West is a Conch.
And that is how Key West is considered Conch Republic.
The reality, though, is that the name has a much older tradition.
Conchs were Bahamians of European descent. Around the time
of the American Revolution there was a migration of loyalists
to the crown to the Bahamas. The Conch is a shellfish that
was a major component in the diet of earlier settlers on
the island. The new residents began calling the older residents
"conchs."
Bahamians were often visiting the Florida Keys for a variety
of reasons including to hunt turtles. Over time many settled
in the Florida Keys and the name had stuck. Those former
Bahamians of European ancestry were the first Conchs in
the Florida Keys.
Over time the original meanings have become lost, and other
traditions have grown. For example, there are tales of new
births in Key West being announced by placing a conch shell
outside on a pole. That such babies were considered conchs.
But no consideration of Conchs would be complete without
some form of discussion of the Conch Republic. There was
a protest in Key West in 1982. The US Border Patrol had
created an inspection point for entering Florida from the
Keys. This caused massive delays when returning from a trip
and was hurting tourism. Because you had to go through a
border crossing to enter the United States, the residents
of Key West felt free to announce that they weren't part
of the US anymore. In announcing secession from the union
they brought attention to the issue and the border crossing
was removed, bringing Key West back into the union. This
has now become a source of tourism for Key West.
