Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Alleged Fountains of Youth
Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, St Augustine
De Leon Springs State Park, DeLand
Warm Mineral Springs, Venice
Five Flags: Florida Gets Passed Around
All Floridian schoolchildren are taught that Florida has been ruled by five flags: those of
Spain, France, Britain, the US and the Confederacy.
Spain claimed Florida in 1513 when explorer Ponce de León arrived. Five more Spanish
expeditions followed (and one French, raising its flag on the St Johns River), but estab-
lished nothing until 1565, when St Augustine was settled. A malarial, easily pillaged out-
post that produced little income, St Augustine truly succeeded at only one thing: spreading
the Catholic religion. Spanish missionaries founded 31 missions across Florida, converting
and schooling Native Americans, occasionally with notable civility.
In 1698 Spain established a permanent military fort at Pensacola, which was thence
variously captured and recaptured by the Spanish, French, English and North Americans
for a century.
Spain found itself on the losing side of the 1754-63 French and Indian War, having
backed France in its fight with England. Afterward, Spain bartered with the English, giv-
ing them Florida in return for the captured Havana. Almost immediately, the 3000 or so
Spaniards in Florida gratefully boarded boats for Cuba.
The British held Florida for 20 years and did marginally well, producing indigo, rice, or-
anges and timber. But in 1783, as Britain and the US were tidying up accounts after the
close of the American Revolution, Britain handed Florida back to Spain - which this time
had supported the winning side, the US.
The second Spanish period, from 1783 to 1819, was marked by one colossal misjudg-
ment. Spain needed settlers, and quickly, so it vigorously promoted immigration to Flor-
ida, but this backfired when, by 1810, those immigrants (mainly North American settlers)
started demanding 'independence' from Spain. Within a decade, Spain threw up its hands.
It gave Florida back to the US for cash in a treaty formalized in 1822. In 1845 Florida be-
came the 27th state of the US, but in 16 short years, it would reconsider that relationship
and raise its fifth flag.
