They have been a part of the South for as long as there has been a South and they remain one of its most amazing sights.
Alligators have played an amazing role in the history of our region. Over the years they have served as enemies, friends, food and more. Almost driven to extinction, they have bounced back remarkably well and once again thrive from North Carolina south to Florida and from the Atlantic west to Texas.
The alligators in Southern history is quite impressive. One of the first pieces of Southern art was a 1564 image by the French artist Jacques LeMoyne of Native Americans in Florida battling and killing massive alligators. The 18th century naturalist William Bartram described seeing alligators that measured 24 feet long and one of the South's favorite "monster" stories involves Two-Toed Tom, a gigantic demon-possessed alligator said to inhabit the swamps along the Florida-Alabama line.
To learn more about alligators, their role in Southern history and even Two-Toed Tom, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alligators1.
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