Historical timeline -- Beginning to 1607

Native Peoples in Florida

Period: Jan 1, 700 to Feb 1, 1600

Native American group called "TImucua" by the Spanish inhabitate northeast Florida.

Heading out on a quest.

Mar 3, 1513

With a fleet of three vessels Juan Ponce de León began a six month quest for the Island of Bieniny that had been authorized a year earlier in a patent from King Ferdinand.

Discovering Florida

Apr 2, 1513

Juan Ponce de León sighted new land, called it La Florida. Six days later his fleet encountered the Gulf Stream, a strong current that would become the primary route for eastbound ships leaving the Spanish Indies bound for Europe.

Changing focus

Jan 1, 1519

By 1519 Spain's interest shifts to the Gulf Coast of Florida, closer to the silver deposits in Mexico.

San Miguel de Gualdape colony

Sep 29, 1526

Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón landed near present day Georgetown, South Carolina. On October 8, 1526 he and the colonizing group established the short-lived colony of San Miguel de Gualdape.

Spanish Settlement in Pensacola

Jan 1, 1559

Tristán de Luna established the first Spanish setlement on Pensacola Bay, named Santa María de Ochuse. The remnants of the colony are withdrawn by the end of 1561.

Fort Caroline

Jun 22, 1564

Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River is established by French settlers led by Rne de Laudonniere.

St. Augustine

Sep 8, 1565

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés founds St. Augustine.

Fort Caroline

Sep 20, 1565

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés captures Fort Caroline, renames it Fort San Mateo

Matanzas Inlet

Sep 29, 1565

Between the end of September and the middle of October in 1565, under order by the king, Pedro Menéndex de Avilés captured and killed the shipwrecked Frenchmen (including Jean Ribault) from Fort Caroline. This slaughter eliminated the French presences in North America.

Capital of Spanish Florida

Jan 1, 1566

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established Santa Elena as the capital of Florida. Santa Elena is located near present day Parris Island, near Beaufort, South Carolina.

Missionaries

Jan 1, 1573

Fransiscan missionary friars arrive in La Florida. Nombre de Dios is established around this time.

Pedro Menédez de Avilés

Sep 17, 1574

Pedro Menéndez de Avilés dies in Santander, Spain. He was in Spain finding more settlers for La Florida.

Coquina

Dec 13, 1580

Spanish settlers discover coquina stone on Anastasia Island. Coquina is used as building material for St. Augustine.

The Lost Colony

Jul 4, 1584

An expedition dispatched by Sir Walter Raleigh, found Roanoke Island.

Sir Francis Drake

Jan 13, 1586

Sir Francis Drake sacked and burned St. Augustine.

Virginia colony

May 14, 1607

Jamestown was founded in 1607 by the London Company. It was the first permanent English in the New World.