Most Americans believe that the history of the United States began at Plymouth Rock in 1620. But our history text books fail to tell us that when the Pilgrims were struggling to maintain their tiny colony, Spanish towns were already growing and flourishing in Florida, the Southwest and Puerto Rico.
Historians have generally ignored the fact that the first European settlement in North America was San Miguel de Gualdape, founded in Georgia in 1526, 81 years before Jamestown, which was settled in 1607. San Miguel de Gualdape survived only about a year because its founder died and its inhabitants were unable to endure some tremendous hardships. One can only imagine how different the history of the U.S. might have been if this first settlement in our country had become successful and permanent.
Everyone knows that Christopher Columbus, under the auspices of the Spanish Crown, came to this continent in 1492. Some of us have heard that Ponce de Leon explored Florida in 1513. Unfortunately, that is about where our history books generally have stopped as far as the Hispanic involvement in the development of this country is concerned.
Spain's attempts to improve its colonial system in La Florida proved futile due to the increasing involvement of the United States with the War in Europe between Napoleon and the monarchs of Europe, including England and Spain. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson obtained the Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon who commandeered New Orleans from Spain when he occupied Madrid. Now Florida was even separated from Texas and the rest of the Spanish New World.
Spain was reluctant to sell Florida to the United States, but Warhawk Southerners, angry over Creek refuge in Florida, runaway slaves, and Spain's lack of Florida development, began to act without Federal authority..............
