When was Florida annexed to the US?
In 1819, Florida was incorporated into the United States under terms of the Adams-Onis Treaty, by which Spain agreed to sell its Florida possessions to the United States in return for $5 million in damages done during the recent invasion by General Andrew Jackson. By then, George Matthews and his earlier invasion were long since forgotten.
When and how was Florida acquired by the US?
The United States acquired Florida from Spain with the Onís-Adams Treaty of 1819. Minister Onís and Secretary Adams reached an agreement whereby Spain ceded East Florida to the United States and renounced all claim to West Florida.
Who were the early settlers of Florida?
Early Settlers The first European settlement in Florida was established by French Protestants in 1564. They were led by French explorer Rene de Laudonniere and built Fort Caroline near current day Jacksonville. A year later, in 1565, the Spanish built a fort at St. Augustine. St. Augustine is the oldest permanent settlement in the United States.
When did Florida and the US become a state?
The Territory of Florida was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 30, 1822, until March 3, 1845, when it was admitted to the Union as the state of Florida.
Who settled in Florida first?
St. Augustine, Florida was founded by Spanish explorers long before Jamestown and the Plymouth Colony. 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.
Where is the oldest settlement in Florida located?
Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European and African-American origin in the United States. Forty-two years before the English colonized Jamestown and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the Spanish established at St.
What was the first colony in Florida?
St. AugustineWelcome. Long before Jamestown, Spaniards, free and enslaved Africans and Native Americans crafted our country's first enduring European settlement — St. Augustine, in 1565.
Who settled in Florida during the 1800s?
Ignoring Spanish territorial claims, American settlers, along with some remaining British settlers, established a permanent foothold in the western end of West Florida during the first decade of the 1800s.
What is the 2nd oldest city in Florida?
The only city in the U.S. older than Punta Gorda is The Villages, a Census-designated retirement community in Central Florida, whose median age is 67.5. The second- and third-oldest cities are also in Florida: Homosassa Springs and Vero Beach.
What is Florida's second oldest town?
Despite the natural beauty of its location, Florida's second oldest town (after St. Augustine, of course) has avoided too much commercial development. Cedar Key has been named one of the 10 coolest towns in America and is often compared to a Key West a half century ago.
Who were the 1st settlers in America?
Five hundred years before Columbus, a daring band of Vikings led by Leif Eriksson set foot in North America and established a settlement.
What is the oldest settlement in the United States?
St. AugustineSt. Augustine, founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain, is the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States – more commonly called the "Nation's Oldest City."
Was Pensacola the first settlement?
History. Established in 1559 by Don Tristan de Luna and Spanish settlers, Pensacola is America's First Settlement.
Who lived in Florida before the 1600s?
Hundreds of thousands of Indians already called Florida home when Europeans first arrived in the early 16th century. But it did not take long for the ensuing wars, slave trade and European diseases to nearly wipe out the aboriginal population.
What was Florida's original name?
In Spanish, Easter Sunday is often called La Pascua de las Flores—the festival of flowers. So a prominent early theory states that de León named the new land La Pascua Florida in honor of Easter Sunday.
When did Americans start living in Florida?
Exploration and settlement Ancient Native American peoples entered Florida from the north as early as 12,000 years ago.
What is the oldest settlement in Florida older than Augustine?
of PensacolaResearchers at the University of West Florida say they've proved Spanish Explorer, Tristan de Luna established his Spanish colony of Pensacola in August of 1559. That's six years before St. Augustine, which claims it's the oldest because it's been continuously occupied.
Is Pensacola Florida the first settlement?
History. Established in 1559 by Don Tristan de Luna and Spanish settlers, Pensacola is America's First Settlement.
What are the three oldest cities in Florida?
This list highlights the seven oldest cities in Florida, which all still exist today.Quincy. Year Established: 1828. ... Marianna. Year Established: 1827. ... Tallahassee. Year Established: 1824. ... Key West. Year Established: informally settled in the 16th century; officially claimed by the U.S. in 1822. ... Fernandina Beach. ... Pensacola. ... St.
What is the oldest settlement in the United States?
St. AugustineSt. Augustine, founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain, is the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States – more commonly called the "Nation's Oldest City."
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 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 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.
When did European ships first land in Florida?
When European ships first landed on Florida in the 16th century, the area was well populated. Indians of the Timucua, Apalachee, Ais, Tekesta and Calusa were farming rich lands in the north -- growing corn, beans and squash -- and fishing or hunting for most of their food in the south.
When did the Europeans arrive in Florida?
Hundreds of thousands of Indians already called Florida home when Europeans first arrived in the early 16th century. But it did not take long for the ensuing wars, slave trade and European diseases to nearly wipe out the aboriginal population. When European ships first landed on Florida in the 16th century, the area was well populated.
What did the Apalachee do when the Europeans arrived?
When the Europeans arrived, the Apalachee lived in somewhat permanent villages, relying heavily on agriculture for their subsistence. Controlling the territory between the Aucilla and land some distance west beyond the Ochlockonee River, they were a distinct group, politically and culturally, recognized as such both by themselves and other Indian groups far to the south.
What was the most powerful group in Florida?
The Apalachee. One of the most powerful and influential native groups of Florida was the Apalachee. At the time Europeans began arriving in America, the Apalachee controlled the fertile area near the Tallahassee hills between the Ochlockonee and Aucilla rivers. The fertile clay and loam soils of the hills supported the heaviest, ...
What is the best known group of Indians in South Florida?
South Florida. Less is known about the early Indians of South Florida. The best known group is the Calusa, whose vast domain was ruled by a single chief. Although lacking agriculture, the Calusa developed elaborate political, social and trade networks.
Where did Narvaez and his expedition go?
Searching for gold, Narvaez and his expedition moved through swampy unpopulated flatwoods until they reached the Apalachee area, near present-day Tallahassee. The Apalachee "loomed big and naked, and from a distance looked like giants. They were handsomely proportioned, lean, agile, and strong," he wrote.
What were the causes of the near extinction of the Indians in Florida?
Smallpox, measles, influenza, even the common cold were deadly to Indians. Of course, wars with Spain and other Europeans contributed to the near extinction of early Indians of Florida. The slave trade -- Florida Indians were taken as slaves as early as 1520 -- also helped kill off the aboriginal population.
Where did the Spanish colonists land in Florida?
Of this group, four Spaniards—including Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Estebán, a Moorish slave who was the first black man known to have entered Florida—reached Culiacán, Mexico, in 1536. Hernando de Soto came in 1539, landing somewhere between Fort Myers and Tampa, and led another disastrous expedition, this time through western Florida. Nearly 20 years elapsed before Tristán de Luna y Arellano attempted to set up a Spanish colony at Pensacola Bay. The settlement was abandoned in 1561, following its destruction by a hurricane. In 1564 a group of French Protestants ( Huguenots) who originally had been led by Jean Ribault established Fort Caroline on the banks of the River of May (St. Johns River), near modern Jacksonville. The Spaniards saw this group as a threat to their sea-lane from Havana to Spain. An expedition commanded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés massacred most of the French colonists in 1565 after founding St. Augustine (San Augustín) nearby.
What was the population of Florida in the 16th century?
At the time of European contact in the 16th century, a population of several hundred thousand Native Americans lived in Florida. The early history of Europeans in Florida reflects the conflicts of the Spanish, French, and English crowns for empire and wealth.
What was Florida used for during the American Revolution?
Expenditures for economic development brought prosperity as well as loyalty from most Floridians during the American Revolution, when the area was used as a base for attacks on colonial coastal cities. Three decades of political and social instability followed Florida’s return to Spain after the war, with U.S. expansionist interests in constant conflict with the Spanish presence.
When did farming start?
Although the first evidence of farming dates from about 500 bce, some southern groups remained hunters, fishers, and gatherers until their extinction. Indigenous peoples continued to arrive from the north in small numbers after 500 bce, establishing contacts with Cuba, the Bahamas, and, possibly, the Yucatán region of Mexico.
Who was the first black man to enter Florida?
Of this group, four Spaniards—including Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Estebán, a Moorish slave who was the first black man known to have entered Florida—reached Culiacán, Mexico, in 1536. Hernando de Soto came in 1539, landing somewhere between Fort Myers and Tampa, and led another disastrous expedition, this time through western Florida.
Who was the English colonist who raided the Gulf of Mexico?
There were frequent raids by English seafarers, including Sir Francis Drake in 1586, and clashes with French colonizers along the northern coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and with English settlers in the Carolina and Georgia colonies.
Who massacred the French colonists?
An expedition commanded by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés massacred most of the French colonists in 1565 after founding St. Augustine (San Augustín) nearby. Hernando de Soto in Florida, 16th-century engraving by Theodor de Bry. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Who was the first Spanish explorer to settle in Florida?
The famous Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León is usually credited with discovering Florida, landing there in 1513. Myth has it that he was searching for a mystical ''fountain of youth,'' although this is probably not true. Early Spanish attempts to settle Florida were largely unsuccessful. Native American attacks, disease, and hurricanes were major obstacles the Spanish would need to overcome. By 1565 the settlement of St. Augustine was founded in northeast Florida. St. Augustine is usually considered the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. As time went by, increasing numbers of women immigrated to Florida and Spanish settlement in the region flourished.
Who brought slaves to Florida?
Thousands of African slaves were brought to Florida by the Spanish and British between the 16th and 19th centuries. New Smyrna developed as a settlement of groups from the Mediterranean region. In the 20th century large numbers of Hispanics and Latinos immigrated to Florida. Following the Cuban Revolution, which concluded in 1959, large numbers of Cubans settled in South Florida. In 2000 a young Cuban boy named Elián González became the center of an international controversy when he was found by American fishermen floating in a small boat off the coast of Florida.
What were the tensions between the Spanish and the British during the 17th and 18th centuries?
Tensions between the Spanish and British were on-going during the 17th and 18th centuries. Increased British immigration to southern colonies like Carolina and Georgia threatened Spanish sovereignty, leading to frequent raids between both parties. In 1740 St. Augustine was besieged by British General James Oglethorpe, though the British were ultimately unable to take control of the Spanish fort. However, after the French and Indian War (1763) Florida came under British control. When Britain was defeated in the Revolutionary War, Florida was returned to Spain (1783).
What cultures are included in the lesson on immigration in Florida?
This lesson will examine settlement and immigration in Florida. It will highlight key cultures, including Spanish, British, African, and Cuban , and examine how wars and revolutions affected immigration and settlement in Florida.
Where did African slaves come from?
African slaves were brought to Florida by both the Spanish and British. Interestingly enough, a number of people groups from the Mediterranean region settled in Florida. A Scot named Andrew Turnbull transplanted some 1500 settlers from Smyrna, Crete, Sicily, and other Mediterranean areas. Their settlement became known as New Smyrna. Today the city of New Smyrna still exists.
When did Florida become an American state?
Under the Adams-Onís Treaty (1821) Florida became an American territory. In 1845 it was admitted as a state. It continued to attract settlers, mainly Americans from further north, but also some immigrants from overseas. The slave population also continued to grow. By the time of the Civil War, 44% of Florida's population was African-American.
Who founded Fort Caroline?
The French and British also had their eye on this region. In 1564 French Huguenot (Protestant Christian) René Goulaine de Laudonnière founded Fort Caroline in what is now Jacksonville. Fort Caroline was established as a haven for French Protestants. It did not last long, however. Within a few months, the Spanish attacked and occupied the fort, thus ending French settlement in the area.
When did the French settle in Florida?
In 1562 the French landed in Florida. In 1564 a group of French people, most of them Protestants settled at a place called Fort Caroline. However the Spanish massacred the French except for women, children and Catholic men and they renamed the settlement San Mateo. But the French took revenge.
What was the population of Florida in 1870?
The citrus industry also grew, although a freeze in 1894-95 almost wiped it out. n In 1870 the population of Florida was less than 188,000 but by 1900 it had risen to over 528,000. Meanwhile, the city of Miami was incorporated in 1896. During the early 20th century the population of Florida continued to rise rapidly.
What happened to Florida after the Second World War?
Yet after the Second World War Florida boomed and tourists flocked to the state. After a revolution in Cuba in 1959 many Cubans fled to Florida. In the 1980s many Haitians arrived. By 1980 the population of Florida was approaching 10 million and it continued to soar. Meanwhile, the economy of Florida boomed.
Why was Florida called Florida?
He called the peninsula Florida after the Spanish feast of flowers. In 1521 Ponce de Leon returned to Florida with a group of settlers. However, the first colony was abandoned because of hostility from the native people. In 1562 the French landed in Florida.
When did the Seminole War take place?
The Second Seminole War was fought from 1835 to 1842 and almost all the Seminoles were forced to leave Florida. Florida became the 27th state of the USA on 3 March 1845. However, on 10 January 1861 Florida ceded from the union. Civil war then followed. The battle of Olustee was fought in Florida on 20 February 1864.
When did Spain cede Florida to the US?
At that time US troops made incursions into Spanish territory. Finally in 1821 Spain agreed to cede Florida to the USA in return for the cancellation of some debts. In 1824 the newly founded town of Tallahassee was made the capital of Florida.
When did the US hand Florida back to Spain?
However at the end of the American War of Independence in 1783 Britain agreed to hand Florida back to Spain. 19th Century Florida. In 1817-1818 the USA fought the first Seminole War against the Seminole Indians. At that time US troops made incursions into Spanish territory.
Who settled Florida?
Florida was the first part of what is now the contiguous United States to be settled by European explorers. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first landed in the area in 1513, which marks the beginning of the American Frontier. Soon after de León’s arrival, Spain began to establish settlements around Florida.
When did Spain settle in Florida?
Soon after de León’s arrival, Spain began to establish settlements around Florida. However, several of these early settlements failed until 1565, when St. Augustine was founded. The success of this settlement lead the Spanish to develop several more until Florida was ceded to the United States in 1821. This list highlights the seven oldest cities ...
Why did John Lee Williams and William Simmons choose the former Indian settlement of Tallahassee?
John Lee Williams and William Simmons selected the former Indian settlement of Tallahassee because it was midway between St. Augustine and Pensacola, the territory’s two largest cities at the time. 4. Key West. Year Established: informally settled in the 16th century; officially claimed by the U.S. in 1822.
What is the capital of Florida?
5. Tallahassee . Tallahassee has been the capital of Florida since the city was officially established in 1824 by the state legislature. Before the first Spanish missionaries were sent to the area in the 17 th century, Tallahassee was occupied by the Apalachee.
What is the oldest city in Florida?
Not only is St. Augustine the oldest city in Florida, it is also the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States. The city was originally founded as a Spanish colony in 1565 by admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who became the first colonial governor of Florida.
Why did the Spanish establish mission sites in the area?
They successfully cultivated the land, which drew the attention of the Spanish who established mission sites in the area to procure food and labor for Spain’s main colony in St. Augustine. After Florida was ceded to the U.S. by Spain, the territorial government decided to look for a new place to establish the capital.
Who inhabited Key West?
Key West. Prior to European colonization, Key West was inhabited by the Calusa people. Like nearly all of the early settlements in Florida, Key West was first visited by the Spainish after Juan Ponce de León came to the island in 1521.
Who was the first European to settle in the United States?
Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established the first permanent European settlement in the United States at St. Augustine in 1565. Before he was president of the United States, General Andrew Jackson led an invasion of Seminole Indians in Spanish-controlled Florida in 1817.
Why is Florida called the Sunshine State?
Florida, which joined the union as the 27th state in 1845, is nicknamed the Sunshine State and known for its balmy climate and natural beauty. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, who led the first European expedition to Florida in 1513, named the state in tribute to Spain’s Easter celebration known as “Pascua Florida,” or Feast of Flowers.