Florida is such a rich and diverse piece of Earth that many nations wanted ownership of it. It was originally claimed by Spanish conquistadors in 1513 and then transferred into British ownership in 1763, only to be turned back over the Spaniards 20 years later in 1783. Florida then became a U.S. territory in 1822 and won its statehood in 1845. Florida also had a very rich and diverse Native American population before conquest by the Spanish. Everyone knows the story of Juan Ponce de Leon, the famous Spanish explorer and Conquistador who seeked the infamous “Fountain of Youth.” He is often given credit for being the first European to find Florida, but he most likely had predecessors that didn’t document it or the documents were lost over time. However, Ponce de Leon’s expedition was the first and official one. He was also the one who gave Florida its name, which means “full or flowers” (Nationwide).
On March 3rd, 1513, Ponce de Leon departed from “Punta Aguada,” Puerto Rico with three ships and sailed North. Although most textbooks claim that he sighted Florida on March 27, 1513, he probably just saw one of the Bahamian Islands. The expedition soon after landed in what is known as present day St. Augustine and explored the land the nearby areas. After the expedition had seen enough of St. Augustine, they sailed south around the horn on Florida, …show more content…
The U.S. began to delve into the Spanish territory, with Andrew Jackson leading attacks against the Seminoles. This became known as the First Seminole war. The U.S. eventually gained control of East Florida which was deemed necessary by John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State at the time. At this point in time, the Spaniards felt Florida was more of a burden and couldn’t afford to settlers or troops to protect it. Spain ceded the land to the U.S. with the Adams-Onis treaty of 1821 (Florida Department of
On March 3rd, 1513, Ponce de Leon departed from “Punta Aguada,” Puerto Rico with three ships and sailed North. Although most textbooks claim that he sighted Florida on March 27, 1513, he probably just saw one of the Bahamian Islands. The expedition soon after landed in what is known as present day St. Augustine and explored the land the nearby areas. After the expedition had seen enough of St. Augustine, they sailed south around the horn on Florida, …show more content…
The U.S. began to delve into the Spanish territory, with Andrew Jackson leading attacks against the Seminoles. This became known as the First Seminole war. The U.S. eventually gained control of East Florida which was deemed necessary by John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State at the time. At this point in time, the Spaniards felt Florida was more of a burden and couldn’t afford to settlers or troops to protect it. Spain ceded the land to the U.S. with the Adams-Onis treaty of 1821 (Florida Department of