Jonathan Dickinson Survives Florida Cannibals...Right?
From This Is...Legends of Yesterday by This Is Ghost & Historical Tours
January 9, 2026 · 58 min · Season 3 · Episode 18
About this episode
This episode explores the contradictions in Jonathan Dickinson's account of his shipwreck in Florida and challenges the cannibalism narrative associated with it.
When Jonathan Dickinson washed ashore in Florida in the late 1600s, history books told us to expect brutality, suffering… and cannibals. But what if that’s not what actually happened? In this episode of This Is Legends of Yesterday, we unravel the strange contradictions surrounding Dickinson’s shipwreck and his encounters with Florida’s Indigenous people—who, according to his own account, treated him not as prey, but as a human being. So where did the cannibal legend come from? And why did this story become the version that survived? Join us as we question colonial narratives, separate fear from fact, and explore the uncomfortable possibility that history may have gotten this one very, very wrong.Ghostly? Not this time.Unsettling? Absolutely.True? You’ll have to listen to find out.This episode of This Is Legends of Yesterday includes discussion of the following sensitive topics:-Slavery and enslavement-Racism and colonial violence-Dehumanization of Indigenous peoples-Cannibalism (historical claims and myths)-Descriptions of insects and arachnidsThese topics are discussed in a historical and educational context, but may be distressing or uncomfortable for some listeners. Listener…
People in this episode
Hosts: Alexandra Zadak, Angelica Zadak
Topics covered
- colonial narratives
- Indigenous peoples
- cannibalism myths
- historical contradictions
- slavery
- racism
- dehumanization
Keywords
- Jonathan Dickinson
- Florida
- cannibalism
- colonialism
- Indigenous peoples
- historical myths
- slavery
- racism
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: This Is Ghost & Historical Tours
Places: Florida
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