
What was the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World?
While England slept, Spain became dominant in the New World and on the high seas. In 1493, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World, on Hispaniola.
How did the Spanish colonize the Caribbean?
The Caribbean and the Mainland In 1493, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World, on Hispaniola. After finding gold in recoverable quantities nearby, the Spanish quickly overran the island and spread to Puerto Rico in 1508, to Jamaica in 1509, and to Cuba in 1511.
What was the first Spanish settlement on the island of Ibiza?
The first Spanish settlement, Caparra, was founded on 8 August 1508 by Juan Ponce de León, a lieutenant under Columbus, who later became the first governor of the island.
When did the Spanish settle in Puerto Rico?
Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico. Spain and Puerto Rico. Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico began in the early 1500s shortly after the formation of the Spanish state in 1493 (continuing until 1898 as a colony of Spain) and continues to the present day.

What were the first areas settled by the Spanish?
The Spanish claim to territories that are today the United States rested upon the 16th century exploits of Ponce de León, Hernando De Soto, and Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. St. Augustine in Florida was established as a Spanish fort in 1565, the first permanent settlement in what would become the United States.
Who established the first Spanish settlement?
After King Philip II (for whom the islands are named) had dispatched three further expeditions that ended in disaster, he sent out Miguel López de Legazpi, who established the first permanent Spanish settlement, in Cebu, in 1565.
Where was the first Spanish colony New Spain settled?
Seeking to develop trade between the East Indies and the Americas across the Pacific Ocean, Miguel López de Legazpi established the first Spanish settlement in the Philippine Islands in 1565, which became the town of San Miguel (present-day Cebu City).
Where did the Spanish first land in Mexico?
Veracruz, MexicoAccounts by the Spanish conquerors exist from the first landfall at Veracruz, Mexico (on Good Friday, 22 April 1519) to the final victory over the Mexica in Tenochtitlan on 13 August 1521.
What was the first settlement in America?
The invasion of the North American continent and its peoples began with the Spanish in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida, then British in 1587 when the Plymouth Company established a settlement that they dubbed Roanoke in present-day North Carolina.
When was the first European settlement in America?
Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was founded in September 1565 by a Spanish soldier named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine, Florida.
Where did Spain claim land?
Beginning with the 1492 arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean and gaining control over more territory for over three centuries, the Spanish Empire would expand across the Caribbean Islands, half of South America, most of Central America and much of North America.
When did the first settlers come to California?
The Portolá land expedition arrived at the site of present-day San Diego on June 29, 1769, where it established the Presidio of San Diego and annexed the adjacent Kumeyaay village of Kosa'aay, making San Diego the first European settlement in the present state of California.
Who was the first Spaniard in America?
Juan Ponce de León was the first Spanish explorer to set foot in the southeastern United States.
How did the Spanish colonization begin in the Philippines?
The Spanish colonial period of the Philippines began when explorer Ferdinand Magellan came to the islands in 1521 and claimed it as a colony for the Spanish Empire. The period lasted until the Philippine Revolution in 1898.
How did Spanish colonization begin?
Spanish colonialism began with the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi's expedition on February 13, 1565, from Mexico. He established the first permanent settlement in Cebu. Much of the archipelago came under Spanish rule, creating the first unified political structure known as the Philippines.
Where did the Spaniards first land in America?
Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was founded in September 1565 by a Spanish soldier named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine, Florida.
When did the Spanish settle Puerto Rico?
Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico. Spain and Puerto Rico. Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico began in the early 1500s shortly after the formation of the Spanish state in 1493 (continuing until 1898 as a colony of Spain) and continues to the present day. On 25 September 1493, Christopher Columbus set sail on his second voyage with 17 ships ...
When did Puerto Rico become a Spanish colony?
Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico began in the early 1500s shortly after the formation of the Spanish state in 1493 (continuing until 1898 as a colony of Spain) and continues to the present day. On 25 September 1493, Christopher Columbus set sail on his second voyage with 17 ships and 1,200–1,500 men from Cádiz, Spain.
How many Canarians emigrated to America in the 1860s?
In the two-year period 1885–1886, more than 4,500 Canarians emigrated to Spanish possessions, with only 150 to Puerto Rico.
How many Spanish surnames are there in Puerto Rico?
See also: Spanish naming customs. There are approximately 1,700 surnames in existence in Puerto Rico. Of these, the majority are of Spanish origin. After these, the most common ones are Corsican (Italian origin) with 8%.
How many people were in Puerto Rico in 1800?
Immigration to Puerto Rico, 1800–1898. Immigration to the island caused the population to grow rapidly during the 19th century. In 1800, the population was 155,426 and the century ended with almost one million inhabitants (953,243), multiplying the population by about six times.
What did Castilians do in Puerto Rico?
From the start of the conquest of Puerto Rico, Castilians ruled over the religious ( Roman Catholicism) and political life. Some came to the island for just a few years and then returned to Spain. However, many stayed.
What was the name of the island in 1511?
In 1511, a second settlement, San Germán, was established in the southwestern part of the island. During the 1520s the island took the name of Puerto Rico while the port became San Juan .
What was the name of the island that Jesus founded?
On December 25, 1492, he founded the first European settlement in the Americas on an island he named Hispaniola . Called La Navidad ("the birth"; in commemoration of being founded on Christmas Day, or the birthday of Jesus), it stood on the site of present-day Limonade-Bordde-Mer, Haiti.
Who was the king of Spain when Columbus set sail?
On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Cádiz, Spain, with three ships—the Santa Maria (with Columbus as captain), the Niña, and the Pinta. At first the expedition made rapid progress.
Why did Columbus not sell his idea to the king of Portugal?
For several years Columbus failed to sell his idea to the king of Portugal, primarily because Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias (c. 1450–1500) had found a sea passage from Europe to India, which was considered the best route at the time. Undaunted, Columbus decided to try his luck in Spain.
What did Columbus do to help Ferdinand and Isabella?
Columbus had no difficulty persuading Ferdinand and Isabella to sponsor a second voyage. When the expedition reached La Navidad in November 1493, however, they found the settlement in ruins. Either the Native Americans had turned against the Europeans or the Spaniards had fought among themselves—no one had survived to tell what had happened. Columbus decided to move 75 miles east, where he started building a settlement called Isabela. He immediately sent a party of men in search of gold while he explored the nearby islands.
How did the Spanish get rich?
The Spaniards soon found that land in the Southwest offered few mineral resources, and the only way to get rich was to use the Pueblo as forced labor for tasks that included herding, farmwork, blacksmithing (shaping iron), silver crafting, and domestic chores. Spanish-Native American relations were thus based on exploitation (using another person for selfish purposes). Over time, the Pueblo came to resent the Spaniards, who profoundly disturbed the ecology (pattern of relations between living things and their environment) in New Mexico. For instance, they brought cattle and sheep that consumed large amounts of prairie grasses. Spanish baking ovens greatly increased the need for firewood, depleting local supplies. To expand the existing network of irrigation (watering system) canals, the Spanish had to rely even more heavily on forced labor. When the Acoma Pueblo finally refused to submit to the intruders, the Spanish killed or enslaved hundreds of Native Americans.
How did Europeans get to the Far East?
At that time, the only way for Europeans to reach the Far East was to sail south along the west coast of Africa and then east into the Indian Ocean. The most direct route was through the Mediterranean Sea, but the eastern end of that waterway was controlled by Turkey, a Muslim foe of the Europeans.
Why did Columbus seek a sponsor for his voyage of exploration?
In the early 1480s, Columbus began to seek a sponsor for a voyage of exploration to prove his theory that he could reach China and the East Indies by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. If he succeeded, he would also confirm a long-held European belief that the world was round.
What was the first Spanish settlement in the New World?
In 1493, during his second voyage, Columbus founded Isabela, the first permanent Spanish settlement in the New World, on Hispaniola. After finding gold in recoverable quantities nearby, the Spanish quickly overran the island and spread to Puerto Rico in 1508, to Jamaica in 1509, and to Cuba in 1511. The natives fared badly. Many died in one-sided armed conflict with soldiers and settlers, or in forced servitude in mines and on plantations. Others died of diseases to which they had no immunity. By mid-century, the native Ciboney of Hispaniola and western Cuba were extinct, and other tribes, including the Arawak of Puerto Rico, were nearly so.
Where was the first Spanish town in the United States?
The first Spanish town in what is now the United States was not in Florida, but somewhere between 30 degrees and 34 degrees North. It was built in 1526, by Luis Vasquez de Ayllon, a Spanish official based on Hispaniola. In 1520, Ayllon had ordered a slaving expedition, and in 1526, set out himself with approximately 500 Spanish colonists--including women, children, and three Dominican friars--and a number of African slaves. After a false start, Ayllon built the town of San Miguel de Guadalupe. His venture was doomed from the outset. The principals of the colony quarreled, Indians attacked, slaves rebelled, and Ayllon died. Only 150 survivors returned to Hispaniola. Later, in 1528 a slightly smaller group under Narvaez plundered and skirmished along the Gulf coast from Yampa Bay to Texas, where it disintegrated. Cabeza de Vaca and three other members finally reached Mexico in 1536. From 1539 to 1543 de Soto and, after his death, Moscoso led an ever-shrinking party on a circuitous route through the southeastern and southcentral United States. From 1540 to 1542 Coronado explored the Southwest. In all cases, these Spanish explorers antagonized the Indians and failed to entice settlers to the higher latitudes.
What tribes were extinct in the early 1500s?
Others died of diseases to which they had no immunity. By mid-century, the native Ciboney of Hispaniola and western Cuba were extinct, and other tribes, including the Arawak of Puerto Rico, were nearly so. Beginning in 1508, Spanish settlements sprang up on the mainland of Central and South America.
What did Spain do in 1550?
By 1550 Spain had dominion over the West Indies and Central America and its large surviving native population. New World mines yielded gold and silver for Spain in far greater amounts than France and Portugal had ever been able to extract from West Africa. One-fifth of the total production, the quinto real, went to the Spanish Crown.
How did the Spanish colonial expansion affect the English colonial policies?
However, Spanish colonial expansion and seemingly unending sources of wealth in the New World profoundly affected English colonial policies. Drake pillaged the Caribbean in 1585-1586, broke the Bank of Spain; nearly broke the Bank of Venice, to which Spain was heavily indebted; and ruined Spanish credit.
Why did Spain annexe Portugal?
In 1580, to eliminate the threat of Portuguese expansion, Spa in annexed Portugal. Although Spain mortgaged Venezuela to a German banking house for a brief period (1528-1547), she was successful in keeping most interlopers out of her holdings from Mexico to Chile for the remainder of the sixteenth century.
What was Spain's goal in 1559?
Expecting a French challenge in North America, Spain sent a large contingent (1559-1561) to secure a settlement site on the Gulf and an overland route thence to the coast of Georgia or South Carolina.
Where was the capital of the island of Carenas?
Founded on the south coast, whence it was transferred in 1516 to the northern coast near the River Chorrera (Almendares); from there it moved to the port of Carenas, where the current city was founded. In 1553 it was ceated third and final capital of the island.
What was the name of the town in the northern part of Cuba?
These were not the only settlements founded by the conquistadors of Cuba. El Cayo or La Savana (now San Juan de Remedios), in the northern part of the central zone, was laid out at the same time as or very shortly after Trinidad and Santi Spíritus, but it had no town council and was not given the official title of Town until over half a century later, a fact referred to by Bishop Diego Sarmiento in his account of his 1544 visit.
When was Baracoa confirmed as Archbishopric of the Island?
In 1516 Baracoa was confirmed as archbishopric of the island in a papal bull issued by Leon X, and it preserved that status until Pope Adrian VI authorised the transfer of the privilege to Santiago on 8th May 1523.
Why was Havana declared a key of the new world?
Since the end of the seventeenth century the 16th November has been celebrated as the day of its foundation, according to the historian of the city Eusebio Leal. Owing to the strategic advantages possessed by Havana in the context of the establishment of maritime trade routes and the corresponding fortification of the port, by Royal Decree on 16th June 1561 it was given the title of Key of the New World. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 14th December 1982.
Where was the Camagüey founded?
Founded in the northern part of the current province of Camagüey. Soon afterwards in 1516 it was moved to the Indian village of Caonao until 1528-1530 when it was again relocated on the banks of the River Tinima where it has remained until our times.
When was Baracoa discovered?
Baracoa was discovered by Admiral Christopher Columbus during his first voyage, on 27th November 1492. He was forced by bad weather to remain there for several days.
Who lived in Baracoa?
Don Diego Velásquez, lived in Baracoa until 4th October 1513 and it was from this port that Francisco de Morales and Pánfilo de Narváez departed, on his orders, to colonise the rest of the island.
Who was the first Spanish explorer to establish a colony in Florida?
Menéndez ’s expedition wasn’t the first group of Spanish explorers who tried to start a colony in Florida, which Juan Ponce de León had claimed for Spain back in 1513. And unlike other colonizers, he wasn’t out to find gold or set up a trading network with the Native tribes.
Who was the first European colony in America?
How St. Augustine Became the First European Settlement in America. St. Augustine, Florida was founded by Spanish explorers long before Jamestown and the Plymouth Colony. St. Augustine, Florida was founded by Spanish explorers long before Jamestown and the Plymouth Colony. Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, ...
What is the name of the inlet where the killings took place?
The inlet where the killings took place was named Matanzas, the Spanish word for “slaughters.”. “Had it not been for the hurricane, Pedro Menéndez's expedition would have probably failed, as all the others before him, and Florida would have been a French colony,” Arbesú says.
Who was the first European to settle in the United States?
Even before Jamestown or the Plymouth Colony, the oldest permanent European settlement in what is now the United States was founded in September 1565 by a Spanish soldier named Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in St. Augustine, Florida.
Who was the Spanish colonist who killed the French?
Spanish Colonists, Outnumbered, Get Lucky. The massacre of the French at Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River, Florida by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in September 1565. Menéndez almost didn’t succeed.
Who was the chaplain of the Frenchman shipwreck?
Menéndez rushed to the location and found some shipwreck survivors, who had lost their weapons and food in the storm, according to an National Park Service account. Mendoza, the chaplain, asked for permission to offer the Frenchman a chance to survive if they converted to Catholicism.
Where was La Isabela settled?
La Isabela was settled by Christopher Columbus and 1,500 others in 1494 AD, on the northern coast of the island of Hispaniola, in what is now the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea. La Isabela was the first European town, but it was not the first colony in the New World--that was L'Anse aux Meadows, established by Norse colonists in Canada ...
What did the settlers build in La Isabela?
For an early colony, La Isabela was a fairly substantial settlement. The settlers quickly built several buildings, including a palace/citadel for Columbus to live in; a fortified storehouse (alhondiga) to store their material goods; several stone buildings for various purposes; and a European-style plaza.
What is the name of the first European town established in the Americas?
our editorial process. Twitter Twitter. K. Kris Hirst. Updated August 18, 2018. La Isabela is the name of the first European town established in the Americas. La Isabela was settled by Christopher Columbus and 1,500 others in 1494 AD, ...
What was the Isabela colony?
Based on all the evidence, historical and archaeological, the La Isabela colony was a flat-out disaster: the colonists did not find any extensive quantities of ores, and hurricanes, crop failures, disease, mutinies, and conflicts with the resident Taíno made life unbearable. Columbus himself was recalled to Spain in 1496, ...
What was the purpose of the La Isabela expedition?
The primary purpose of the expedition was to establish a colony, a foothold in the Americas for Spain to begin its conquest.
How many people were buried in La Isabela?
A total of 48 individuals were buried in La Isabela's church cemetery. Skeletal preservation was variable, and the researchers could only determine that at least 33 of the 48 were men and three were women. Children and adolescents were among the individuals, but there was no one older than 50 at the time of death.
What were the people who lived in the Caribbean at the time of Columbus's landing?
The prehispanic people in the Caribbean region at the time of Columbus's landing were horticulturalists, who combined slash and burn land clearance and house gardens holding domesticated and managed plants with substantive hunting, fishing, and gathering.

Overview
Imperial expansion
The expansion of Spain’s territory took place under the Catholic Monarchs Isabella of Castile, Queen of Castile and her husband King Ferdinand, King of Aragon, whose marriage marked the beginning of Spanish power beyond the Iberian peninsula. They pursued a policy of joint rule of their kingdoms and created the initial stage of a single Spanish monarchy, completed under the eig…
Civil governance
The empire in the Indies was a newly established dependency of the kingdom of Castile alone, so crown power was not impeded by any existing cortes (i.e. parliament), administrative or ecclesiastical institution, or seigneurial group. The crown sought to establish and maintain control over its overseas possessions through a complex, hierarchical bureaucracy, which in many ways was decentr…
Catholic Church organization
During the early colonial period, the crown authorized friars of Catholic religious orders (Franciscans, Dominicans, and Augustinians) to function as priests during the conversion of indigenous populations. During the early Age of Discovery, the diocesan clergy in Spain was poorly educated and considered of a low moral standing, and the Catholic Monarchs were reluctant to allow them to spearhea…
Society
It has been estimated that over 1.86 million Spaniards emigrated to Latin America in the period between 1492 and 1824, with millions more continuing to immigrate following independence.
Native populations declined significantly during the period of Spanish expansion. In Hispaniola, the indigenous Taíno pre-contact population before t…
Economy
In areas of dense, stratified indigenous populations, especially Mesoamerica and the Andean region, Spanish conquerors awarded perpetual private grants of labor and tribute to particular indigenous settlements, in encomienda they were in a privileged position to accumulate private wealth. Spaniards had some knowledge of the existing indigenous practices of labor and tribute, so that lea…
19th century
During the Napoleonic Peninsular War in Europe between France and Spain, assemblies called juntas were established to rule in the name of Ferdinand VII of Spain. The Libertadores (Spanish and Portuguese for "Liberators") were the principal leaders of the Spanish American wars of independence. They were predominantly criollos (Americas-born people of European ancestry, mostly Spanish or Portuguese), bourgeois and influenced by liberalism and in some cases with mi…
In popular culture
In the twentieth century, there have been a number of films depicting the life of Christopher Columbus. One in 1949 stars Frederic March as Columbus. With the 1992 commemoration (and critique) of Columbus, more cinematic and television depictions of the era appeared, including a TV miniseries with Gabriel Byrne as Columbus. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992) has Georges Corroface as Columbus with Marlon Brando as Tomás de Torquemada and Tom Selleck a…
Overview
Spanish settlement of Puerto Rico began in the early 1500s shortly after the formation of the Spanish state in 1493 (continuing until 1898 as a colony of Spain) and continues to the present day. On 25 September 1493, Christopher Columbus set sail on his second voyage with 17 ships and 1,200–1,500 men from Cádiz, Spain. On 19 November 1493 he landed on the island, naming it S…
First settlement
The first Spanish settlement, Caparra, was founded on 8 August 1508 by Juan Ponce de León, a lieutenant under Columbus, who later became the first governor of the island. The following year the settlement was abandoned in favor of a nearby islet on the coast, named Borinquen, which had a suitable harbor. In 1511, a second settlement, San Germán, was established in the southwestern part of the island. During the 1520s the island took the name of Puerto Rico while …
Migration waves, 1500–1898
From the start of the conquest of Puerto Rico, Castilians ruled over the religious (Roman Catholicism) and political life. Some came to the island for just a few years and then returned to Spain. However, many stayed.
Among Puerto Rico's founding families were the Castilian Ponce de León family. Their home was built in 1521 by Ponce de Leon but he died in the same year, l…
Twentieth and twenty-first centuries
1898 didn't see the end of Spanish immigrants in the island. Although many left, the majority decided to stay. While they continued to be an influence, their numbers however, continued to steadily decline under the occupation of the United States. In 1897 a year before the US invasion, there were 19,686 Spanish-born which fell to 7,690 in the census of 1899. This trend continued into the following decades of the early twentieth century but with less intensity. For example, in …
Language
Spanish is the predominant language inherited from the Spaniards among Puerto Ricans residing in the island; however, its vocabulary has expanded with many words and phrases coming from the English, African, and Taíno influences of the island. Since 1901, English is taught in both public and private schools.
The linguistic contributions of Canary Islanders are difficult to separate from those of Andalusia…
Religion
The Catholic Church has been historically the dominant religious institution in Puerto Rico. The first diocese in the Americas was erected in Puerto Rico in 1511. All municipalities in Puerto Rico have at least one Catholic church (building), most of which are located at the town center or "plaza". Protestantism, which was suppressed under the Spanish regime, has been encouraged under American rule, making modern Puerto Rico interconfessional.
Cultural influences
Spanish influence is the most notable of all cultural influences in Puerto Rican culture. Spanish heritage has left an indelible mark on the island, and signs of this cultural exchange can be found everywhere, from the official language, musical genres to the local culinary styles.
Francisco Oller was a Puerto Rican visual artist. Oller is the only Latin American painter …
Spanish surnames
There are approximately 1,700 surnames in existence in Puerto Rico. Of these, the majority are of Spanish origin. After these, the most common ones are Corsican (Italian origin) with 8%. The remainder are of various origins. Thus, most surnames in Puerto Rico originated in Spain, with Puerto Ricans following the Spanish tradition of using two surnames. The first surname is inherited from the father's first surname and the second is inherited from the mother's first surn…