The first written record about life in Florida begins with the arrival of the Spanish explorer and adventurer Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513. Though it is though that the first Native Americans reached the land 12,000 years ago. Ponce de Leon stepped on shore sometime between April 2 and April 8, possibly somewhere near present-day St. Augustine. His mission was to gain new wealth for his home country of Spain.
He returned home to spread the word of his discovery and to be better prepared to colonize the newly discovered land. On his next voyage to Florida in 1521, Ponce landed on shore on the southwest coast of the peninsula, along with two hundred men, fifty horses, and a large number of beasts of burden. Soon after the start of this colony however it failed because of the onslaught of the Indian people. This outcome was translated into two things, the land was desirable and the Indians where a force to deal overcome.
The French also got wind of the possible wealth in Florida. A Frenchmen named René Goulame de la Udonniere was the first to set up a fort near present-day Jacksonville. These French adventures however prompted a response from Spain. The Spanish man named Pedro Menendez de Aviles was one of the first to respond and to remove the French from the land and set up a colony of his own. His new settlement was named St. Augustine and it was the first permanent one in the new world.
The new French reply came two years later. Dominique de Gourgues and a group of soldiers recaptured San Mateo from the Spanish. However, this attack did not halt the Spanish advance. They continued to build new colonies and forts all along the coast.
The Spanish were now well dug in the Southeastern United States and there power was unquestionable. The English knew this and there response to colonize the new world began well north at Jamestown. However as the English colonies grew they pushed the Spanish all the way back to present-day Georgia.