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50. Beyond St. Augustine

By Miguel Pérez

​
July 1, 2014 -
To follow the footsteps of the Spanish conquistadors who came to North America some 500 years ago, sometimes water routes are necessary. And that's how I found myself rowing on the Econfina Creek in northwest Florida.

After seeing how the Panfilo de Narvaez expedition reached Florida in 1528 — from a modern deck boat that landed in St. Petersburg — I also wanted to see how some of its survivors escaped Florida and the arrows of its natives, this time from the perspective of a canoe!

"During that time, some of the party went to the coves and inlets for seafood, and the Indians surprised them twice, killing 10 of our men in plain view of the camp, without our being able to prevent it," wrote one of the survivors, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. "We found them shot through and through with arrows, for, although several wore good armor, it was not sufficient to protect them, since, as I said before, they shot their arrows with such force and precision ... "

The conquistadors escaped from that area on Indian canoes and barges they built to make their way back to the Gulf of Mexico. "We sailed seven days among those inlets, in the water waist deep, without signs of anything like the coast," Cabeza de Vaca reported in his 1542 book, "La Relacion" ( The Account).

And when they finally reached the Gulf, many of them — including de Narvaez — were swept away by strong currents, never to be seen again.

I did it for four hours, on a rented canoe, and covered only seven miles of their creek journey, never reaching the Gulf. I only had to worry about mosquitos, spiders that kept falling off the trees and into the canoe, water moccasins, and heat exhaustion.

But my friend and travel companion Gustavo Villageliu kept putting it in proper context. "If you think this is hard," Gustavo kept repeating, "imagine doing this with arrows coming at you from both sides of the creek."

Yet that was the reason we were there! While others were frolicking in Florida wildlife, we were going back in time to gain a better understanding of the hardships endured by North America's first European explorers. For those who also want to imagine what that was like, I've posted a short video of our canoe journey on my Hidden Hispanic Heritage Facebook blog (facebook.com/HiddenHispanicHeritage), and on this page.

But it was time to continue on the Great Hispanic American History Tour, and nearby, on his smartphone's GPS, Gustavo had located the site of Ellicott's Observatory, where a sign explains that the border between Florida and Georgia has Hispanic roots.

"At the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783, Florida was returned to Spain after 20 years of British control," the sign says. "Controversy soon arose over the exact location of the boundary between Spanish Florida and the state of Georgia. In 1795, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, an agreement fixing the boundary in question at the thirty-first parallel and providing a survey to be made to determine the exact location of that line. In May, 1796, President George Washington appointed Andrew Ellicot, a mathematician and experienced surveyor, as the American Commissioner for the survey. After much delay, work got underway in June, 1798. A party of Spanish and American surveyors carrying with them a large accumulation of apparatus required for making astronomical and land measurements began the task of determining the exact boundary line ... "

It was a quick roadside stop, but it proved that sometimes even our state boundary lines are part of our hidden Hispanic heritage. Gustavo and I took a few pictures and kept on moving because we were anxious to get to a treasure trove of Hispanic history in "America's First Settlement."

No, not St. Augustine! Whenever I post photos of the Hispanic landmarks we have visited on this trip on our Facebook blog, someone always assumes that I must be in St. Augustine. And whenever I post a photo of a conquistador statue, someone assumes it must be Ponce de Leon.

Yet, although I have been to St. Augustine and written about its history many times, I have not gone there on this trip, because my quest is to make people see the hidden Hispanic heritage that is beyond St. Augustine and de Leon.

For the record: Although the first British colony, Jamestown, Virgina (1607), deceptively calls itself "America's Birthplace," and St. Augustine (1565), was established 42 years earlier, it is Pensacola, Florida (1559), that rightfully claims the title of "America's First Colony."

In Pensacola, Gustavo and I were pleased to find a city that proudly promotes its Hispanic heritage.

That's where you find an impressive statue of one of the lesser-known conquistadors, Tristan de Luna, in a beautiful plaza facing Pensacola Bay and a sign that explains why the city considers itself "America's First Settlement."

"In August 1559, an expedition led by Tristan de Luna y Arellano arrived in Pensacola Bay to establish Santa Maria de Ochuse, a settlement that predated the founding of Jamestown by a half century and St. Augustine by a half dozen years. Departing Veracruz on June 11, 1559, Luna was at the head of one of the most formidable settlement expeditions in American history: an 11-ship fleet carrying in excess of 1,500 persons, more than double the number of any previous Spanish expedition to Florida. Though the settlement failed in 1561, it was the longest-lasting colonial settlement up to that date in what is today the United States."

That's where you get to understand that the course of American history might have gone in a different direction had it not been for a hurricane that nearly wiped out the de Luna expedition.

"Shortly after arriving, and before a formal settlement could be established a hurricane struck Pensacola. The fierce storm destroyed most of the fleet and the supplies still on board, dealing the stranded expedition a blow from which it could not recover," according to an exhibit at the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum in downtown Pensacola, where you can see the anchor from one of De Luna's ships, recovered in Pensacola Bay by a team of Florida state nautical archaeologists in 1992.

"If the Luna settlement had succeeded, the story of America would have been much different," the exhibit concludes.

But this is not the only time when the course of American history was diverted in Pensacola. In the same museum, you learn all about how the Spanish army, under General Bernardo de Galvez and with many Latin American recruits, defeated the British at Fort George and turned the tide of the American Revolution.

"By losing control of Pensacola, England lost its foothold on the Gulf of Mexico. With supply lines disrupted and troop movements severely hampered, the British could not effectively attack Washington from the rear. The outcome at Pensacola allowed General Washington to focus his resources on the war's eastern front."

Although it is one of the least-known battles of the American Revolution, the Battle of Pensacola was a fierce, two-month military engagement. Galvez seized the city with 32 battleships and some 3,000 men. At Fort George Memorial Park, where a section of the fort has been reconstructed on its original foundation, a marker recognizes, "although Spain was not a formal ally of the United States, her victory at Pensacola made a significant contribution to the success of the American Revolution."

And not far from there, we found Plaza Ferdinand VII, a national historic landmark recognizing the site where Spain — "unable to stem the tide of American expansionism," according to the Wentworth exhibit — formally transferred Florida to the United States for a measly $5 million in 1821. Heavily in debt and at the risk of losing Florida without compensation, Spain had no choice but to accept the deal.

Of course, since I'm gathering more notes and photos than I have room to immediately display here, this is all fodder for many future columns.

Everywhere you turn in downtown Pensacola, you see Spanish history and culture all around you. But we also went to the Bateria de San Antonio, the Spanish Water Battery at Fort Barrancas, a fortification built by Spain in 1797 to protect Pensacola Bay after recapturing the Pensacola area from the British and rebuilt by Americans in the 1840s. It's on a bluff — or barranca in Spanish — facing the harbor entrance, and it was used to fire cannonballs at enemy ships that tried to enter the harbor. Since Fort Barrancas is now part of the Pensacola Naval Air Station, we also got to see the majestic beauty of the Barrancas National Cemetery, where many Hispanic names can be seen among the pristine white tombstones.

If you know where to look, Hispanic heritage is everywhere!

Next week, this column moves to bayou country, where French and Spanish forces once competed for space and power, where another little-known Latino led victorious forces in the Civil War, and where our hidden Hispanic heritage needs to be exposed.

COPYRIGHT 2014 CREATORS.COM
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En español
​
Más Allá de San Agustín

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Bernardo de Galvez
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                   CHAPTERS/CAPITULOS

1. Our Pre-Mayflower Thanksgivings
Nuestros Días de Acción de Gracias Pre-Mayflower
               
2. A Tale of Two Cities
                 
3. Our Pre-Hispanic Heritage
              

4. The Black Legend Returns

4. La Leyenda Negra Regresa
                
5. Even on HBO, The Black Legend Lives
                   
6. Our Spanish Heritage
                     
7. Exalted or Offended?
                    
8. We are all 'Americanos'
                  
9. Latinos are Failing
                  
10. Hispanic, Columbus or Indigenous Day?

10. ™Dia Hispano, De Colon o Indigena?
                   
11. Two Good Places to Rest
11. Dos buenos lugares para descansar
                  
12. Whitman's Prophetic Letter
12. La Carta Profética de Whitman
                  
13. America’s Cradle
13. La Cuna de America
                 
14. Our Quincentennial is Coming!

14. ´Nuestro Quinto Centenario Se Avecina!
                   
15. 
This chapter was merged with Chapter 29
                
16. A Time To Welcome the Spirits
                  
17. A Hispanic Christmas
17. Una Navidad Hispana
                  
18. JOSE MARTI:
     His Legacy Lives Here
     
Su Legado Vive Aqui
                
19. Hyphenated and Proud!
                   
20. Politicizing Education

21. Speak Any Spanish Lately?
              
22. 
Let's Celebrate Three Kings Day!

22. ´Celebremos el día de los Reyes!
               
23. 
This chapter was merged with Chapter 29


24. A Long-Overdue Museum
                 
25. America's First Christmas was celebrated in Spanish

25. La Primera Navidad Americana ​ fue celebrada en español​

26. The Grand Canyon
and the Bucket List
 Of Hispanic Heritage
26. El Gran Canyon
y la Lista de Lugares de la Herencia Hispana

                  
27. 
On Fiesta Month, Can We Talk About Heritage?
27. En el mes de las fiestas, ™podemos hablar de nuestra herencia?

28. Our Hispanic Heritage: On Exhibit and Yet Hidden
28. Nuestra Herencia Hispana: En Exhibición y Sin Embargo Oculta

29. Florida's Birthday Should Be a National Holiday

             
30. A Local Celebration that Should be National               

31. 
This chapter was merged with Chapter 30               
​

32. The Conveniently 'Forgotten War'
32. La Guerra Convenientemente Olvidada

33. Guantanamo Has a History  June 4, 2013

34. Exposing the Social Media Bigots  June 18, 2013
34. Exponiendo a los Intolerantes
     de los Medios Sociales June 18, 2013

35. Thinking of Cusi On the Fourth of July
35. Pensando en Cusi en el Cuatro de Julio

36. The Discovery of White Hispanics
36.  El Descubrimiento de los Hispanos Blancos

37. Let's Build a Timeline Of Hispanic-American History
37. Vamos a Construir una Cronología
     De la Historia Hispanoamericana

38. In the Name of Heritage
38. En el Nombre de la Herencia

39. Hispanics or Latinos?
39. ™Hispanos o Latinos?

40.  Hollywood's Hidden Hispanic Heritage
40. La Herencia Hispana Oculta en Hollywood

41. Obliviously Living in ‘The Land of Estevan Gomez’
41. Viviendo Inconscientemente
       En la ‘Tierra de Estevan Gómez’

42. Marking America's Birthplace
42. Marcando el Lugar de Nacimiento De Estados Unidos

43. Hispanics in Denial Should Be Infamous
43. Los Hispanos en Rechazo Deben Ser Infames

44. 
Gay Marriage's Hidden American History
      Started in Spanish
 CABEZA DE VACA'S JOURNEY
44. La Historia Oculta del Matrimonio Gay
      En América Comenzó en Español
        EL VIAJE DE CABEZA DE VACA​

45. Super Bowl Coke Commercial
       Draws Out Ugly Americans

45. Comercial de Coke en Super Bowl
     Hace Relucir a los Americanos Feos


46. 
The 'Discovery' of Self-Loathing Hispanics
46. El ‘Descubrimiento' de los
     Hispanos que se Auto Desprecian


THE GREAT HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORY TOUR 
June 2014 - January 2015


47. My Pilgrimage to San Xavier
47. Mi Peregrinaje a San Xavier

48. The Great Hispanic American History Tour
48. La Gran Gira por la Historia Hispanoamericana

49. On the Trail of Conquistadors
49. En el Camino de los Conquistadores

50. Beyond St. Augustine
50. Más Allá de San Agustín

51. 
An American hero and hidden Hispanic role model
51. Un héroe americano y modelo hispano oculto​

52. The Hispanic Flank of the American Revolution
52. El Flanco Hispano de la Revolucion Americana
​

53. New Orleans Has a Spanish ‘Ne Sais Quoi’
53. New Orleans Tiene Un ‘Ne Sais Quoi’ Español
​
54. Galveston: Still the Isle of Misfortune?

55. Extracting Compacted History
     Unveils Hidden Hispanic Heritage

56. 'Remember The Alamo' Was a Spanish Mission

57. San Antonio: The Showcase Of Our Hispanic Heritage

58. There Was Compassion On the Spanish Mission Trail

58. Hubo Compasión en el Camino de las Misiones Españolas
​
59. A Hidden Latina Role Model

60. Time Portals on the Road

61. The First Thanksgiving
     In the (Southwest) United States

62. The World's Biggest Statue
of a Nameless Horseback Rider


63. A River Runs Through Our Hispanic Heritage

64. A Beacon of Hope On a Border Mountaintop

65. A Mexican-American Town
65. Un Pueblo Mexico-Americano

66. The Crossroads of Conquistadors

67. Hiking In Search of Coronado's Trail

68. The Real American Pioneers

69. Keeping My Pledge to San Xavier

70. If They Knew Arizona's History,
     They Wouldn't Be So Xenophobic

71. 'Tucson' is a Spanish Adaptation

72. Under a Utah Lake, Hispanic Heritage Lives

73. A Hilltop View Of Hispanic Heritage

74. Searching for Coronado's Quivira

75. The Spanish Savior of St. Louis

76. 
Jefferson's Spanish Library

WASHINGTON, D.C.
February-June 2015

77. When Galvez Came to Congress
77. Cuando Gálvez Vino al Congreso


78. A Tour of Our Extraordinarily Hispanic U.S. Capitol

79. Searching for Not-S0-Hidden
Hispanic Heritage in Washington, DC


80. Smithsonian Omits Hispanics In U.S. History Exhibit
80. Smithsonian Omite a los Hispanos
     en Exhibición de Historia de EE.UU.
MIAMI - August 2015
​
81. Finding Dad in a Museum
81. Encontre a Mi Padre en un Museo


​CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP - 2018
82. International Friendship Park ​at U.S.-Mexico Border
​- A Jagged Corner of the World


83. Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
​
84. Cabrillo National Monument

85. ​It took more than 2 centuries

86. Presidio Park: The Birthplace
of the Spanish Colonization of California


87. Junípero Serra Museum Transcends the Story of a Great Man

88. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá:
California's First Spanish Mission


89. Old Mission (Padre) Dam: California's First Aqueduct

90. Even at the beach in San Diego, you can't avoid Spanish history

91. Chicano Park: Mexican-American ​painted under highway ramps

92. Balboa Park: Candy for your eyes amid a painful controversy!

93. San Diego: An American Town
Named After the Saint from Alcalá

93. San Diego: Un Pueblo Americano
Lleva el Nombre del Santo de Alcalá


94. San Luis Rey de Francia: The King of the California Missions
94. San Luis Rey de Francia: ​El Rey de las Misiones de California

95. San Antonio de Pala:
A Sub-Mission to Reach
 the Natives of the Interior
95. San Antonio de Pala:
Una Asistencia para Alcanzar los Nativos del Interior

96. San Juan Capistrano:
The Home of the Mission Swallows
 from Argentina
96. San Juan Capistrano:
El Hogar de las Golondrinas Desaparecidas ​de Argentina

97. San Gabriel Arcángel: A Mission that Launched Cities
97. San Gabriel Arcángel: Una Misión Que Lanzó Ciudades

98. El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles:
Hispanics had to be imported

98. El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles:
Hispanos tuvieron que sen importados


99. La Plaza de Cultura y Artes:
A Walk through Mexican-American History

99. La Plaza de Cultura y Artes:
Un Paseo por la historia 
​mexicoamericana


100. Strolling the Hispanic Walk of Fame
​100. Caminando por el Paseo Hispano de la Fama

101. San Fernando Rey de España Teaches
California's Colonial History

101. ​​San Fernando Rey de España Enseña
la historia colonial de California


​102. Mission San Buenaventura Survived Earthquakes and Pirates
102. Misión San Buenaventura Sobrevivió Terremotos y Piratas

​103. Father Serra Cross: On a hill,
​overlooking ​the land he shepherded

​103.
La Cruz del Padre Serra:
​En una colina, ​con vistas a la tierra que pastoreaba


104. The Birthplace of Santa Barbara
104. El Lugar de Nacimiento de Santa Barbara

105. The Queen of the Spanish Missions
105. La Reina de las Misiones Españolas

106. Mission Santa Ines: Built to relieve other overcrowded missions
106. Misión Santa Inés: Construida para aliviar otras misiones superpobladas

107. Mission La Purísima Concepcion:
​Going back in time ​to Spanish California

107. Mision La Purísima Concepción:
Retrocediendo en ​el tiempo a la California española


XXX. Saluting an exile: ​Father Félix Varela
XXX. The Meaning of 'Sotomayor'
EXPLORING THE SOUTHEAST
To recharge our spiritual and cultural batteries
​Cuban-Americans come to ​'La Ermita'

Para recargar nuestras baterías espirituales y culturales
los cubanoamericanos vienen a 'La Ermita'


San Carlos Institute: Like walking into a  Cuban history book

Instituto San Carlos: Como entrar en un libro de historia de Cuba

​Key West: So close to Cuba and yet so far away
Key West: Tan cerca de Cuba y sin embargo tan lejos​


An exclusive preview ​of a new, yet ancient Miami cultural center
Un adelanto exclusivo ​de un nuevo, aún antiguo centro cultural de Miami


Miami's Bayfront Park celebrates ​almost all the Americas
​El Bayfront Park de Miami celebra casi todas las Américas

On Florida's Camino Real only remnants remain
En el Camino Real de Florida solo quedan restos
​

​A trip back in time, to colonial Spanish Florida
Un viaje al pasado, a la Florida española colonial

​Pensacola, Florida: ​'​A Spanish Town'
Pensacola, Florida: ​'Un pueblo español'


In the American Revolution, ​Hispanics fought and won the Battle of Pensacola
En la Revolución Americana, los hispanos lucharon y ganaron la Batalla de Pensacola

Pensacola, 'America's First Settlement' remembers its Spanish founder
​
Pensacola, el primer pueblo estadounidense recuerda a su fundador español

History Museum of Mobile recognizes pre-British American 'age of exploration'
Museo de Historia de Mobile reconoce la 'era de exploración' estadounidense prebritánica


A multilingual fort and its rotating history
Un fuerte multilingüe y su historia rotativa


​Mobil's Spanish Plaza Park, ​an unexpected gem
​Plaza de España de Mobile, una joya inesperada

Twenty-one road trip stops Tracing De Soto's Journey
Veintiuna paradas el la carretera Trazando el viaje de De Soto

ON THE ROAD AGAIN - 
​​1. Walt Whitman's House, ​Camden, NJ
​
2. ​Casa de Walt Whitman, ​Camden, NJ

2. Yorktown ​Battlefield, Va.
2. ​Campo de Batalla Yorktown

​
3. ​'First Landing' State Park, Va.
​3. Parque estatal 'First Landing'


4. ​Jamestown Settlement, Va.
4. Asentamiento de Jamestown Settlement, Va.


​5. ​When Florida reached South Carolina,
​    St. Helena was an important town

5. Cuando Florida llegaba hasta Carolina del Sur,
​    Santa Helena era un pueblo importante


​
6. Juan Ponce de Leon at ​Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl.
6. Juan Ponce de León en Playa de Ponte Vedra, Fl.​

7. Fort Mose Historic State Park, Fl.
​The first free African American community - in Spanish Florida!

​​7. ​Parque Estatal Histórico Fort Mose, Fl.
​​La primera comunidad afroamericana libre - en la Florida española!


8. St. Augustine, Fl., The "Old City Gate"
​at our first permanent settlement
​
8. San Agustín, Florida, La "Puerta de la Ciudad Vieja"
​en nuestro primer pueblo permanente

9. St. Augustine, Fl., Castillo de San Marcos
9. Castillo de San Marcos, ​San Agustín, Fl.

​

​​


Castillo de San Marcos, ​San Agustín, Fl.
EXPLORING NEW MEXICO - 2023
​​1. Our journey begins ​at La Jornada
​​1. Nuestra jornada comienza ​en 'La Jornada'


2. In Old Town Albuquerque, if you have Spanish blood, you feel it!
​
​2. En Old Town Albuquerque, si tienes sangre española, ´lo sientes!​

3. Albuquerque: An American city named after a Spanish duke
3. Albuquerque: Una ciudad Americana con el nombre de un duque español

4. San Felipe de Neri, Albuquerque's patron saint and oldest building
4. San Felipe de Neri, patrón de Albuquerque ​y edificio más antiguo

5. History cannot be hidden or denied, even if it hurts
5. La historia no se puede ocultar ni negar, aunque duela

6. Following the historic Dominguez-Escalante Trail
6. Siguiendo el sendero histórico de Domínguez y Escalante

7. An amazing cultural center and its even ​more amazing fresco

7. Un centro cultural increíble ​y su fresco aún más asombroso​
​
8. Hispanic heritage lives ​in Native American museum

8. La herencia hispana vive en museo de nativos americanos​

9. The Native American pueblo Coronado visited, or fought?
9. El pueblo nativo americano que Coronado ™visitó o peleó?

10. My namesake San Miguel, ​the oldest church on the United States mainland
10. Mi homónimo San Miguel, la iglesia ​más antigua de los Estados Unidos continentales

11. If it's not the 'Oldest House,' ​it's certainly among them!
​11. Si no es la 'casa más antigua', ´Sin duda está entre ellas!

12. Santa Fe, a modern city that looks like an ancient pueblo
12. Santa Fe, una ciudad moderna que parece un pueblo antiguo

13. You know the conquistadores? Now meet 'La Conquistadora'
13. ™Conoces a los conquistadores? Ahora conoce a 'La Conquistadora'

14. You think you are in a park, ​but you are walking in a history book

14. Crees que estás en un parque, ​pero estás caminando en un libro de historia

15. A palace, a plaza and a desecrated obelisk
15. Un palacio, una plaza y un obelisco profanado

16. New Mexico's History shines in its fearless museums
16. La historia de Nuevo México vive en sus intrépidos museos

17. Don Pedro de Peralta still rides in Santa Fe
17. Don Pedro de Peralta todavía cabalga en Santa Fe

18. Two sacred monuments to honor the martyrs​​​
18. Dos monumentos sagrados para honrar a los mártires

19. On U.S. land that was part of Mexico, she is still revered
​
19. En territorio estadounidense que era parte de México, todavía es venerada

20. Digging for miraculous dirt in the Santuario de Chimayó
​
20. Excavando en busca de tierra milagrosa en el Santuario de Chimayó

21. Española is not a Spanish woman; It's a fabulous place!
21. Española no es una mujer española, Es un lugar fabuloso!

22. History, faith, culture and pride on display ​in Hispanic fiestas
22. Historia, fe, cultura y orgullo en exhibición en las fiestas hispanas​

23. A town with Indian and Spanish names: Ohkay Owingeh and San Juan de los Caballeros
23. Un pueblo con nombre indio y español: Ohkay Owingeh y San Juan de los  Caballeros

24. Searching for San Gabriel, New Mexico's abandoned capital
24. Buscando a San Gabriel, La capital abandonada de Nuevo Mexico
SPECIAL SECTIONS
• Great (pro-Hispanic) Americans
​• Spanish-American expeditions before Jamestown
• NYC ​Hispanic Landmarks
• NYC Hispanic Art
• Do You Know Them? Los Conoces?
• Garita Art
​
• Do You Speak Spanglish?
HISPANIC AMERICAN HISTORY TIMELINE
​• 16th Century in the Hispanic American History Timeline
• 17th Century in the Hispanic American History Timeline
• 18th Century in the Hispanic American History Timeline
​

​1513 Ponce de Leon Discovers North America, Names Her 'Florida'

April 22, 1513 ​Alaminos discovers the Gulf Stream

1517 De Cordoba, wounded in Yucatan, stops in Florida

1518 Grijalva Reaches Galveston Island

1519 De Pineda confirms Florida ​is not an island​

1521 Ponce de Leon Returns to Florida, Falls Mortally Wounded

1524-25 Estevan Gomez Explores North America's East Coast

1526 Ayllón lands in S.C., settles in Georgia


1528 Narváez expedition succumbs to storms and natives

1528-36 Cabeza de Vaca treks across North America

1537-42 Cabeza de Vaca Returns to Spain, Writes 'La Relación'

1539 De Niza Searches for Golden Cities of Cibola
​

1539-42 De Soto celebrates first American Christmas

1540 Hernando de Alarcon Reaches California

1540-42 Coronado Explores the Southwest,
Cardenas Discovers ​the Grand Canyon


1542-43  ​Cabrillo explores California coast​

1559 De Luna Builds Santa Maria de Ochuse​


1565 Pedro Menendez de Avilés Establishes San Agustin

1566 Santa Elena Built in South Carolina

1598 ​Juan de Oñate Explores New Mexico

1602 Sebastian Vizcaino ​explores the West Coast

1610 Pedro de Peralta establishes Santa Fe

1610-26 The Birth of San Miguel, oldest church in the U.S.A.

1613 Juan Rodriguez becomes the first Manhattan immigrant

1633 Misión San Luis de Apalachee is born in Tallahassee

​1682 San Antonio de la Ysleta becomes first mission in Texas

1691 Father Eusebio Kino builds Tumacácori and Guevavi

1692 ​Father Kino builds San Xavier del Bac 

1692 Diego de Vargas leads ​'Bloodless Reconquest" of Santa Fe

1695 Castillo de San Marcos ​Completed in St. Augustine

1718 Mission San Antonio de Valero is born
​- long before it became The Alamo
​

1738 Runaway slaves establish Fort Mose,
​the first free African-American community​


​1738 Francisco Menendez Leads Fort Mose

1742 Spanish Soldiers ​Open Fort Matanzas

1752 Spanish Soldiers Build Presidio de Tubac

1763 Spanish Florida Goes to England

1765 Juan Antonio Maria de Rivera ​explores ​Colorado and Utah
​
1769 
Father Serra opens ​San Diego de Alcalá,
California's first ​Spanish mission


1771 Father Serra establishes San Gabriel Arcángel

1772 Good hunting determines site
​of ​Misión San Luis Obispo de Tolosa


1775 Captain Hugh O’Connor
​builds Presidio San Agustin del Tucson


​1776-83 Hispanics in the American Revolution

1776 The Birth of San Francisco

1781 Spanish troops defeat the British, capture Pensacola

1781 Pobladores of Los Angeles are imported

1791 ​Alessandro Malaspina Alaska Reaches Alaska

1797 Fermín Francisco de Lasuén
Establishes Misión San Fernando Rey de España


1797 The Birth of Villa de Branciforte
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Herencia Hispana Oculta de America:
La Lista de Lugares, Ideas, y Evidencia Historica para Reconectár a los Americanos con sus Raíces Hispanas

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America's Hidden Hispanic Heritage:
The Bucket List of Places, Ideas and Historical Evidence to Reconnect Americans with their  Hispanic Roots
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