11 Enjoyable Day Trips for Florida History Buffs
Native Americans were in Florida at least 12,000 years ago, but written records only began when Juan Ponce de León arrived in 1513. Spain built Penacola in 1559 and St. Augustine in 1565 and governed Florida for most of the next 250 years until it became a territory of the United States in 1821.
The new territory attracted people from bordering southern states. Florida became a state in 1845. Much of Florida heritage is derived from the Old South and Confederacy, especially in north Florida. Here are 11 places you can go to get a feel for Florida history.