The Exciting History of St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida has a rich history that stretches through numerous different important periods of American history.
In fact, the city is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement of European origin in all of the United States. St. Augustine was first spotted by a European when Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon was charting Florida in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth. Many such tales of wonder brought European explorers to the New World in search of fame and wealth. While Ponce de Leon never did find the fountain, he did give Florida its name in 1513 calling it La Florida or the land of flowers.
The settlement would first be founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles. The site was originally constructed in the hope that the Spanish could use it as a base of operations for future explorations and settlements into the American south and southwest. However, Native Americans resisted Spanish control and often prevented the empire from stretching any further. The original settlement was burned to the ground in 1566 by the Saturuana tribe who resisted being placed under Spanish rule. The Spanish would later rebuild the settlement and relocate it where the city remains today.
The Saturuana attack was the not the last of the fights that would break out over the settlement. Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, St Augustine would be attacked numerous times by both the French and the British empires. One of the most notable of these battles was fought between the Spanish and the British privateer Sir Francis Drake who burned the city down a second time in 1586. After all of the repeated attacks the Spanish eventually constructed a large stone fort, Castillo de San Marcos which remains the oldest fort in the United States.
St. Augustine would trade hands between global powers several times. After being controlled by the Spanish for much of its early history the settlement was taken over by the British as part of a treaty after the Seven Years War. The city would go back to the Spanish again after the end of the American Revolution as a gift to Spain for their aid in American Independence. Eventually St. Augustine would become an American settlement by the end of the Spanish American war before succeeding with Florida and joining the Confederate States of America. The city would trade hands one last time at the end of the Civil War to rejoin the United States where it remains an exciting place to explore today. There are numerous different historical tours available for anyone who wants to explore a place with such a rich past. St. Augustine would be an amazing place to explore for any history buff or anyone looking for a nice day out in sunny Florida. There are numerous different activities available and would be perfect for families attending one of the Continuing Education Company’s many Florida CME live conferences.
Upcoming CME Conferences & Online Learning
Want to attend a live CME conference in a beautiful locale or complete an online course from the comforts of home?
At Continuing Education Company, we provide you with options to make your medical continuing education fun, engaging, and relevant. Check out our conference calendar to view the dates and locations of upcoming conferences as well as the online learning courses and live streaming that are currently available. And, for a limited period of time, take advantage of our Special Offer! Attend one of our LIVE conferences in person and you will receive a FREE online 15 credit CME course from CME365™.