What’s The Oldest City In The US?

The United States itself might only be a measly 248 years honest-to-goodness , but there are plenty of web site now existing within it that have been around for far longer . That even includes cities – but which metropolis is the old of them all ? Pack your sunglasses ( and maybe ahelmet ) , because we ’re off to Florida .

While the res publica might be well known for Disney , alligators , and engender a multitude of “ Florida Man ” newspaper headline , it ’s also home to the Old continuously inhabited city in the commonwealth , St. Augustine .

settle in northeastern Florida , the city was founded all the manner back in 1565 – 20 years beforeRoanokeand 42 years before Jamestown ( neither of which were to last anyway ) were established . For once , the English were n’t imply .

“ One of the challenges that St. Augustine faces , and Florida history in universal , is that the narrative of U.S. account typically begin with the English story of Jamestown and the pilgrims , ” historian Dr J. Michael Francis toldSmithsonian Magazine .

So , whodidestablish St. Augustine ? It involve another European land – Spain .

The Spanish government had been trying to establish a liquidation in Florida ever since explorer Juan Ponce de León first landed there back in 1513 , but at least six expeditions aiming to do sofailed .

Another military expedition was being prepared when Huguenot , a group of Protestants flee from France , managed to establish a fort and dependency near what is now Jacksonville . give that Spain had already place claim to the area , King Philip II was n’t particularly glad about this development .

His solution was to broadcast admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to Florida , with the aim of set up a Spanish settlement and despatch the French one . Departing from the Spanish port wine city ofCádizon June 28 , 1565 , Menéndez and his fleet first trip up mess of Florida two months later on , on August 28 .

As Menéndez ’s sidekick - in - constabulary and captain of the fleet , Gonzálo Solis de Méras , recalled : “ As before long as he achieve there ( the harbor of St. Augustine ) he set ashore about 300 soldier and sent two captains with them , who were to reconnoiter that morning the next morn the lay of the land and the station which seemed to them strong ( for defense ) , in order that they might excavate a trench quickly while it was being seen where they could build a fort . ”

“ Where ” would terminate up being St. Augustine – but how did that name come about ?

The metropolis would go on to be under British rule , then back to Spanish , and finally become part of the US , but remained take root the entire sentence and would continue to be so to this daytime .