— Ch. 1 · Ancient Inhabitants And European Arrival —
Florida.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
The first recorded human presence in Florida dates back at least 14,000 years to the Paleo-Indians who entered the peninsula. By the 16th century, major Native American groups inhabited distinct regions of the state. The Apalachee lived in the Panhandle while the Timucua occupied northern and central areas. The Ais settled along the central Atlantic coast and the Mayaimi resided near Lake Okeechobee. The Tequesta dwelled in southeastern Florida and the Calusa controlled southwest territories. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León sighted the peninsula on the 2nd of April 1513 and made landfall the following day. He named the region La Florida meaning land of flowers due to the abundant flora and the Easter season known as Pascua Florida. Hernando de Soto later skirted the coast in May 1539 searching for a deep harbor to land his expedition. He described thick walls of red mangroves stretching mile after mile with roots reaching heights that made landing difficult. Europeans introduced Christianity cattle horses sheep and the Spanish language to the region. An estimated 700,000 Native Americans lived in Florida during the 1520s but this number dropped to around 2,000 by 1700.
Colonial Struggles And Statehood
Spain established St. Augustine under the leadership of admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565 creating the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the continental United States. The marriage between Luisa de Abrego and Miguel Rodríguez occurred in 1565 marking the first recorded Christian marriage in the continental U.S. Spain built the Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 and Fort Matanzas in 1742 to defend its capital city from attacks. In 1738 governor Manuel de Montiano established Fort Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose near St. Augustine as a fortified town for escaped slaves who received citizenship and freedom in exchange for service. Britain briefly gained control of Florida in 1763 following the Treaty of Paris ending the Seven Years War. Spain recovered the territory in 1783 after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. The Adams-Onís Treaty took effect in 1821 transferring Florida to the United States. Andrew Jackson served as military commissioner with powers of governor for a brief period on behalf of the U.S. government. Florida became the 27th state admitted on the 3rd of March 1845 only one day before President John Tyler's term ended.