Who settled Saint Augustine in Florida and what were the reasons circumstances of the first european's who settled there?

Answer 1

Pedro Menendez de Aviles, a Spanish sea captain, explorer and later governor of the Florida territories, laid anchor at what is now St. Augustine on August 28, 1565 with five ships. Since that was the feast day of "San Agosto," he named the new colony (more a military garrison, actually) after the saint. It was important for the Spaniards to physically lay claim to the land they were calling their own in the Florida terrirories, lest the English and, particularly, the French claim it for themselves. The French had already set up a garrison by this time in South Carolina, which Menendez wiped out soon after arriving in 1565. ---- Andrew Turnbull and his wife came over from Smyrna and settled in our "New Smyrna" and named it that. Now, when they came over they brought Minorcan slaves with them. The Slaves got fed up with their new life style and left and walked from New Smyrna Florida all the way down to St. Augustine and that's where they settled. The reason for the Settling first was because Andrew wanted to have his own little peice of country untouched by any other person. He wanted control of the people, so he got slaves, but when they left and went to St. Augustine there was nothing he could do. He was powerless and without an army.. well, the army was Minorcan and went to St. Augustine with the rest of the slaves. Hope this helped.