The Spanish had long planned on becoming the dominant force in the colonization of Florida from the late 1400s through to the 1500s. Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish conquistador, and explorer, are widely known to have led the very first European expedition to Florida. After traveling to the New World with Christopher Columbus in […]
Category Archives: Pedro Menendez
16
Dec
Dec
After being released from prison in 1564, French Huguenot explorer, navigator, and sea captain Jean Ribault was sent on a relief mission back to Florida, on his second voyage. Setting sail with a fleet of seven ships, five hundred soldiers, weapons and ammunition, various supplies, a selection of livestock, and five hundred sailors and colonists, […]
15
Nov
Nov
The history of St. Augustine is fascinating. Founded on September 8th, 1565, by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the conquistador originally named the settlement ‘St. Augustín’. He arrived with supplies, soldiers, and settlers from Spain with the intention of establishing a stronghold in the area, which he achieved success. From their fleet, Menendez and […]
15
Sep
Sep
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is the seat of the current Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine and is the oldest Catholic Church in the country. This is where the city of St. Augustine was founded in September 1565, more than a century before many other American towns were ever established. Known as […]
15
Jul
Jul
History of Jacksonville, Florida: Early European Settlement To Thriving Metropolis Early in the 16th century, uncertain times in Europe brought several explorers to the shores of the New World. The first of these was the Spanish explorers who landed in Florida in 1513. As a result, Spanish explorers such as Pedro Menéndez forged Florida’s history, […]
15
Jun
Jun
The early history of Florida is interwoven with the spread of the French Protestant movement across Europe, the United States, and Africa. From the early 1600s to the late seventeenth century, thousands of Huguenots left their homes in France due to repeated waves of religious persecution. One of these Huguenots was the famous French navigator, […]
16
May
May
An integral part of the history of Florida is its maritime heritage that dates back thousands of years. Around 2400 BC, Native Americans began to occupy what is now modern-day Florida. As a loose amalgamation of tribes that shared a common language, the Timucua were not bound politically as a common people. While they traded […]
15
Feb
Feb
In 1565, Pedro Menendez de Aviles and his men set sail for the New World. King Philip II of Spain, a devout Catholic, ordered his men to sail to Florida to remove the French Protestants from the region. He and his men landed in what is nowadays St. Augustine, and set off overland to overturn […]
15
Jan
Jan
Long before the pilgrims arrived in Jamestown, the longest-standing permanent European settlement in the modern-day United States had already been founded. In fact, it was founded fifty-five years earlier. Back in September 1565, the history of St. Augustine began with Spanish sailor, soldier, and explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and his men established a settlement […]
25
May
May
St. Augustine, Older Than The Plymouth Colony (1565 vs. 1620)
As an important settlement in the early days of colonization in North America (The New World), St. Augustine has played an instrumental part in the history of Florida. In fact, St. Augustine is the oldest settlement in the United States that has been continuously occupied by Europeans. Founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez, almost 50 years before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth (1620) the city has been through many interesting ups and downs over the years that are worth knowing about.