Events with tag - European Colonization

April 2, 1513

Discovery of Florida

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León discovered Florida on April 2, 1513, marking the first documented European contact with the region. He named it 'La Florida' due to its flowering vegetation and the Easter season.

September 8, 1565

Founding of St. Augustine

Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established St. Augustine, Florida, marking the first permanent European settlement in what would become the United States. The settlement was founded on September 8, 1565, predating Jamestown by 42 years.

September 20, 1565

Battle of Fort Caroline

Spanish forces led by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés attacked and conquered French Fort Caroline, killing or capturing most of its inhabitants and establishing Spanish dominance in Florida for the next two centuries.

February 1, 1682

La Salle's Mississippi River Expedition

In February 1682, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle led a historic expedition down the Mississippi River, becoming the first European to travel from its upper reaches to the Gulf of Mexico. This journey established French claims to the vast Louisiana Territory and transformed North American colonial development.