The North American continent was first sited by Don Juan Ponce de Leon on March 27, 1513. He named it La Florida, meaning "Land of Flowers." Spain launched six expeditions to settle Florida, but all failed. The French established a fort and colony on the St. John's River in 1564.
In reaction to this, King Phillip II named Don Pedro Menedez de Aviles governor of Florida. Menendez was instructed to explore and colonize the territory. Menedez arrived off the coast of Florida on August 28, 1565. After eleven days he and his 600 men came ashore at the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy. After fortifying the village they named it St. Augustine. St. Augustine was founded forty-two years before the colony at Jamestown and fifty-five years before the pilgrims.
St. Augustine became the target of many attacks in the later years. Sir Francis Drake attacked and burned the town in 1586. Then a pirate by the name of Captain John Davis plundered the town in 1668. The Castillo de San Marcos took twenty-three to finish.
Once finished it proved to be one of St. Augustine's greatest defenders. After the completion of the Castillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine has never fallen to an enemy attack. In 1763 Spain ceced Florida in order to try to regain Cuba. After Spain came twenty years of British Rule. After the American Revolution, Florida returned to Spanish control for thirty-seven years under the second Treaty of Paris in 1783. On July 10, 1821 Spain sold Florida to the United States of America. St. Augustine contains the only urban nucleus in the United States whose street pattern and architectural ambiance reflect Spanish orgins.