Legacy of Spanish Colonial Florida

By James J. Miller
Published September 19, 2011

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Florida's Spanish Colonial Heritage Trail

Since the founding of St. Augustine, in 1565 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida has flown the flag of Spain more years than not.

Yet, we must search a little for the legacy of this early history, now often covered by more recent layers of place names, cultures and ways of life. Unlike the American southwest, where Spanish culture can trace its roots in unbroken lines to Spanish missions still standing, to the earliest colonial families, and to a continuing language, Florida has experienced several cultural replacements. When Florida became a British colony at the end of the First Spanish Period (1565-1763) only a few Spaniards stayed on in St. Augustine. By the time Florida became an American territory at the end of the Second Spanish Period (1784-1821), empty land and new opportunities brought a new wave of settlers from the adjacent southern states.

Today, Florida produces almost three quarters of the nation’s citrus; the first trees were introduced around St. Augustine, probably by Menéndez in 1565.

A careful look, however, will reveal many Spanish colonial connections. Many of our Spanish place names have been Anglicized: San Agustín to St. Augustine; San Marcos de Apalachee to St. Marks; San Jose to St. Joseph; La Chua to Alachua; Santa Maria to St. Marys. Others remain unchanged: Matanzas, Castillo de San Marcos, San Luis, Nombre de Dios. In the Spanish colonial ranches, especially La Chua at Paynes Prairie, we find the origin of Florida’s cattle industry. Today, Florida produces almost three quarters of the nation’s citrus; the first trees were introduced around St. Augustine, probably by Menéndez in 1565. Early Spanish explorers introduced pigs to Florida. Direct evidence of this is found in historic documents and the archaeological record from the DeSoto Site Historic State Park near present-day Tallahassee, where part of a pig jawbone was recovered. The introduction of pigs by the Spanish led to populations of wild pigs still present today in the southeastern U.S. Spanish architectural style was reintroduced to Florida by Henry Flagler in St. Augustine in the 1880s and revived by architect Addison Mizner in the 1920s in wealthy Palm Beach. Today, we can appreciate more realistic Hispanic culture as south Florida especially is again settled by Spanish speaking people from all over the Americas.