Failure Of Spanish Florida
Ashtyn Crowder
AMH2070 – September 30, 2014
Women in Florida Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, Florida was a component of the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the expansion of the Spanish Empire. Wide-ranging expeditions were mounted into the surrounding area during the 16th century, but Spain never exercised complete control over Florida outside an area of what is now the State of Florida, southern Georgia, southern Alabama, southern Mississippi southeastern Louisiana, and other areas along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Spanish Florida was considered a failure because the Spanish Empire could not continue to rule over Florida. By 1763, Florida was willingly given to the English in exchange for Havana, showing how unimportant Florida really was to the Spanish. When Spain regained rule over Florida in 1783, nothing could slow down the coming failure of Spain’s first period. Half a century later, Florida was given up once more, but this time it was to the United States. The “crucial problem” that caused the failure of Spanish Florida was the human problem. Anyone that tried to take over Florida would soon give up the territory in exchange for somewhere else. The person to discover Florida was Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He first landed on Florida’s east coast on April 7, 1513. After briefly exploring the land south of present-day St. Augustine, which is now thought to have been Melbourne Beach, the expedition sailed south to the bottom of the Florida peninsula, through the Florida Keys, and up the west coast as far north as Charlotte Harbor, where they briefly battled with the Calusa before heading back to Puerto Rico. Further Spanish attempts to explore and colonize Florida were terribly unsuccessful. Ponce de León returned to the Charlotte Harbor area in 1521 with equipment and settlers to start a colony but was soon driven off by
AMH2070 – September 30, 2014
Women in Florida Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, Florida was a component of the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the expansion of the Spanish Empire. Wide-ranging expeditions were mounted into the surrounding area during the 16th century, but Spain never exercised complete control over Florida outside an area of what is now the State of Florida, southern Georgia, southern Alabama, southern Mississippi southeastern Louisiana, and other areas along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Spanish Florida was considered a failure because the Spanish Empire could not continue to rule over Florida. By 1763, Florida was willingly given to the English in exchange for Havana, showing how unimportant Florida really was to the Spanish. When Spain regained rule over Florida in 1783, nothing could slow down the coming failure of Spain’s first period. Half a century later, Florida was given up once more, but this time it was to the United States. The “crucial problem” that caused the failure of Spanish Florida was the human problem. Anyone that tried to take over Florida would soon give up the territory in exchange for somewhere else. The person to discover Florida was Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He first landed on Florida’s east coast on April 7, 1513. After briefly exploring the land south of present-day St. Augustine, which is now thought to have been Melbourne Beach, the expedition sailed south to the bottom of the Florida peninsula, through the Florida Keys, and up the west coast as far north as Charlotte Harbor, where they briefly battled with the Calusa before heading back to Puerto Rico. Further Spanish attempts to explore and colonize Florida were terribly unsuccessful. Ponce de León returned to the Charlotte Harbor area in 1521 with equipment and settlers to start a colony but was soon driven off by