Florida History Information

The state of Florida, nicknamed the Sunshine State, got its name from the Spanish Easter celebration Pascua Florida, which means feast of the flowers. It is one of America's most popular vacation destinations.

Discovery

• Florida's recorded history began with its discovery in 1513. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce De Leon found and named the area. Ponce De Leon's attempts to colonize the area failed due to resistance from local tribes of Native Americans, who had inhabited Florida for at least 12,000 years.

First Settlement

• The first permanent European settlement in the U.S. was in Florida, founded by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565. It was called San Augustin and is today known as St Augustine. Once Menendez was settled, he set about forcing the French, who had established a fort near modern-day Jacksonville, out of the region. The French, Spanish and British contested Florida for more than two centuries.

Revolution

• During the American revolution, Florida was loyal to the British, having been taken over in 1763 in a trade with Spain for the island of Cuba. In 1781, acting as an an ally of France, Spain captured Pensacola, and eventually the whole of Florida, under a peace treaty in 1784.

Joining the U.S.

• Florida would remain a Spanish-controlled colony until 1821 when Spain finally released the lands to the U.S. On March 3, 1845, after 24 years of immigration into the area and wars to control and remove the native Indian tribes, Florida became the 27th state to join the U.S.