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.
When was the first settlement in Florida?
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.
What part of Florida was first discovered?
Juan Ponce de León ventured to the peninsula in 1513 and 1521. Because he landed on the peninsula during the Easter season (Spanish: Pascua Florida [“Season of Flowers”]) and because of the vegetation he found there, Ponce de León named the area Florida.
What is the oldest city in Florida and America?
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."
What is the oldest town in Florida?
St. AugustineFounded 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.
Who landed in Florida first?
adventurer Juan Ponce de LeónWritten records about life in Florida began with the arrival of the Spanish explorer and adventurer Juan Ponce de León in 1513. Sometime between April 2 and April 8, Ponce de León waded ashore on the northeast coast of Florida, possibly near present-day St. Augustine.
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 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.
Who founded the oldest city in Florida?
admiral Pedro Menéndez de AvilésSt. Augustine was founded on September 8, 1565, by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida's first governor. He named the settlement "San Agustín", as his ships bearing settlers, troops, and supplies from Spain had first sighted land in Florida eleven days earlier on August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine.
How long until Florida is underwater?
By 2100, large swaths of coastal land in Florida will be permanently submerged. In the shorter term, rising seas will increase the frequency and severity of coastal flooding. Statewide, three feet of flooding puts at risk: Future sea level depends on greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric / oceanic processes.
Who Founded Florida first?
Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established the first permanent European settlement in the United States at St. Augustine in 1565.
Was Florida underwater at once?
As glaciers of ice in the north expanded and melted, the Florida peninsula emerged and submerged. When the sea level was lowest, the land area of Florida was much larger than it is now. The sea level was as much as 100 feet lower than at present. Florida s west coastline was probably 100 miles further out.
Is any part of Florida below sea level?
There are of course some very important parts of the state that are three feet or less above sea level – approximately a meter. Most of greater Miami, the Florida Keys, and Fort Lauderdale are in that highly vulnerable zone.
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.
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 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, ...
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
When was the first census in Florida?
Our first census was 1830 and the 1890 census was destroyed. Before the 1820s the Florida Keys were without permanent white settlements. The first white people to settle in the Keys in any number were of the maritime industry from the Bahamas and the New England states.
What are the Upper Keys settlements?
Permanent Upper Keys settlements are difficult to define, as it is arbitrary as to what size group constitutes a "settlement." Homestead, census, post office, and artifact data are good guidelines. Platting patented homestead descriptions on detailed maps offer some degree of density. However remember, families could have been in a place long before their homesteads were officially recorded, or never homesteaded at all. The approval process for a post office indicates some expectation of density. The 1870 Census is the earliest Key-by-Key list of settlers that I have and serves as a reference. Within the parenthesis are the occupation and age in the 1870 U.S. census. If other than the 1870 census is used for reference, the date will be included. Monroe and Dade County censuses before 1850 do not show age and occupation. Our first census was 1830 and the 1890 census was destroyed.
Where did John Whalton live?
To the north of Indian Key in April 1826, Captain John Whalton (1830) and six crewmen anchored the 220-ton, two-lantern, schooner-rigged lightship named "Caesar" inside the Carysfort Reef. His wife Felicia and four children lived in Key West, but visited aboard ship occasionally. Supplies were a problem for the Captain and crew, so they had a small vegetable and fruit garden, and a fresh water source somewhere on north Key Largo. This is referred to as "Whalton's Farm," but I suggest that this does not qualify as a settlement. Captain Whalton was shot and killed by Indians in 1837, two years after the Second Seminole War broke out in 1835. His body and family were taken to Indian Key and after a burial, to Key West. Descendants still live in the Keys.
Who came to Indian Key?
This was probably a temporary camp used by wreckers or other temporary groups. - INDIAN KEY - Silas Fletcher came to Indian Key in 1824 to construct a store for the partnership of Snyder and Appleby (1830) of Key Vaca.
Is Pearl City on Plantation Key?
I cannot leave early communities without mentioning the oceanside community of Pearl City on Plantation Key. Little is written of Pearl City, but it exists in conversation with early Plantation Key residents as the Alburys, Pinders and Lowes. The name is equally evasive. Was the location simply "a real pearl," named for the beautiful-pearly Queen Conchs, the conch pearl, or something else? However named, the appellation existed and has all but faded from use, except the subdivision that still bears the name Pearl City.
