Saint Augustine, Florida is by far the most ancient European town in North America. Its early history is one of turbulence and violence, of settlement and abandonment. In the middle to late 1500s numerous Spaniards and Frenchmen attempted to conquer and claim the area, most meeting with disasterous results at the hands of local Indians, or the opposing country, or by succumbing to the unexpected ruggedness of land and sea. The Spaniard Menendez de Aviles is credited with establishing the town, and despite many sufferings, the Spanish maintained a firm hold on the town and its surrounding area during St. Augustine's early period. By the mid-1700s the English were looking at Florida as a possible addition to their holdings. Prodded by King George II, Gov. Oglethorpe of Georgia determined to capture St. Augustine, and thus drive the Spaniards from Florida. He bombarded the town, but did not take it, prompting a retalitory invasion by Gov. Monteano of Florida which also failed. In 1763 an agreement was reached and the "provinces of the Floridas were ceded to Great Britain...." Many of the Spanish left to establish homes in Cuba and elsewhere. St. Augustine was returned to Spanish rule in June 1784, and in 1792 the government opened up Florida "to general emigration without exception of country or creed." It was not until 1821 that Florida became part of the United States. This reprint has been made for the 1885 edition of this history which first appeared in 1881. The illustrations in the original book have been supplemented by a collection of scenes from a view booklet of the late 1800s, and a name index has been added.
William W. Dewhurst
(1885), 2004, CD-ROM, Graphic Images, Adobe Acrobat, PC or Mac, 198 pp.
ISBN: 9780788432453
101-CD3245
