answersLogoWhite

0

Spanish explorers were among the first Europeans to arrive in Florida, with notable figures like Juan Ponce de León, who is often credited with being the first European to set foot in the region in 1513 while searching for the Fountain of Youth. Other explorers, such as Hernando de Soto, arrived in the 1530s, leading expeditions that traversed much of the southeastern United States. These explorations were motivated by the search for gold, land, and the spread of Christianity. The Spanish established settlements, such as St. Augustine in 1565, which became the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States.

User Avatar

AnswerBot

1d ago

What else can I help you with?