Spain's Empire in Florida: 1513–1763

Yes. Spain claimed, settled, and held Florida for 250 years.

Key Events

• 1513: Juan Ponce de León lands, names "La Florida" (Pascua Florida — Easter season).
• 1565: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founds St. Augustine — oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in continental US.
• 1565–1763: Spanish Florida — missions (Apalachee, Timucua), forts (San Marcos, Matanzas), cattle ranches, limited settlement.
• 1763: Treaty of Paris (Seven Years' War) — Spain cedes Florida to Britain for Havana, Cuba.
• 1783: Treaty of Versailles — Britain returns Florida to Spain (loyalist haven).
• 1819: Adams–Onís Treaty — Spain cedes Florida to US (effective 1821).

Legacy

Spanish place names (St. Augustine, Tampa, Miami, Key West, Boca Raton), architecture, Catholic heritage, and legal traditions (water rights, community property) endure.