Na m e : ___ Date: _
Directions: Circle the topic sentence and underline the supporting sentences in each paragraph.
Then write three fascinating facts on the lines below.St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American
continent. It was founded forty-two years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia,
and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.
St. Augustine is the oldest city in America. Spanish explorer and treasure hunter Don Juan
Ponce de Leon first sighted the mainland of North America on Easter, March 27, 1513. He
claimed the land for Spain and named it La Florida, meaning “Land of Flowers.” Between
1513 and 1563 the government of Spain launched six expeditions to settle Florida, but all
failed. The French succeeded in establishing a fort and colony on the St. Johns River in
1564 and, in doing so, threatened Spain’s treasure fleets that sailed along Florida's
shoreline returning to Spain. As a result of this infiltration into Florida, King Phillip II
named Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spain’s most experienced admiral, as governor of
Florida, instructing him to explore and to colonize the rich territory. Menendez was also
instructed to drive out any pirates or settlers from other countries.
Menendez skillfully fulfilled his king’s wishes. When Menendez arrived off the coast of
Florida, it was August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and
his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy
with Spanish flags flying and trumpets sounding. He quickly fortified the tiny village and
named it St. Augustine. Using brilliant military maneuvers, Menendez destroyed the French
garrison on the St. Johns River and, with the help of a tropical hurricane, also defeated the
French fleet. With the coast of Florida firmly in Spanish hands, he set to work building the
town, establishing missions, converting the Indians to his church, and exploring the lush
land.Fascinating Facts:
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