History of Colonial Florida 1513 - 1803

DATE SOURCE EVENT
1513
3
Ponce de Leon lands on Florida east coast somewhere between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
1516 - 1542
3
Spanish exploration expeditions by Ponce de Leon, Miruelo, Pineda, Narvaez and De Soto.
1558 - 1559
2
3
De Luna attempts to establish a permanent Spanish settlement at Pensacola.
1560
2
A Hurricane nearly wipes out the colony. The settlement is then abandoned.
1562
3
French attempt to establish a Huguenot settlement at Port Royal.
1564
3
Rene de Laudoniere of France builds Ft. Caroline near the mouth of the St. Johns River and establishes a Huguenot colony.
1565
3
Pedro Menendez de Aviles founds St. Augustine.
1565
3
Pedro Menendez de Aviles captures Ft Caroline, massacres the French settlers, and renames the fort San Mateo.
1568
3
France avenges the Ft Caroline massacre by sending Dominique De Gourgues to massacre the Spanish garrison at San Mateo.
1586
3
English adventurer Sir Francis Drake attacks St. Augustine. He succeeds in burning the settlement.
1679
3
Spanish build fort (SanMarcos de Apalache) at junction of St Marks and Wakulla rivers.
1682
2
Rene de la Salle attempts to create a French colony at Pensacola, but it fails shortly thereafter.
1698
2
3
Spanish re-establish Pensacola to counter French encroachment on Western Florida. Under command of Andrew d'Arriola a military expedition of 357 men occupied the former settlement.
1702
3
James Moore, British Governor of South Carolina, besieges St. Augustine but fails to capture the fortification.
1719
3
Pensacola captured by the French. Recaptured by the Spanish, then captured again by the French.
1723
3
Spain and France sign a peace treaty. Pensacola is restored to Spain.
1740
3
British again unsuccessfully besieges St. Augustine. This time by General James Oglethorpe, Governor of the colony of Georgia.
1756
3
Start of the Seven Years War between Britain and Spain.
1763
3
During the Seven Years War, England captures Havana. Spain trades Forida to Britain to regain Havana.
1763 - 1776
3
The British establish plantations in Florida.
1776 - 1780
3
Florida does not join in the American Revoltion. It becomes a haven for loyalists who have been driven out of the American colonies.
1783
3
The British return Florida to the Spanish in return for the Bahamas and Gibralter. Most of the British settlers evacuate.
1795
3
The Pinkney Treaty between Spain and the United States. It set the northern boundary of Florida at the 31st parallel.
1800
3
During the Napoleonic wars, Spain cedes its claim to the Louisiana Territory to France.
1803
3
Louisiana Purchase. The United States lays claim to western Florida. Spain is too weak to do anything about it.