Florida Test I Study Guide Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms and essay topics for the Florida Test I study guide, presented in a question-and-answer format.

Who were the Paleoindians?

The earliest inhabitants of Florida, arriving during the late Ice Age, known for hunting megafauna.

Who were the Calusa people?

A powerful Native American tribe of southwest Florida, known for their shell mounds and sophisticated fishing culture, who resisted Spanish colonization.

Who were the Timucua people?

A large and diverse Native American linguistic and cultural group inhabiting northeast and north central Florida, interacting significantly with European explorers.

What does European Discovery refer to in the context of Florida?

The period when European explorers first encountered and began to explore and claim the territory of Florida, starting in the early 16th century.

Who was Juan Ponce de Leon?

A Spanish explorer who led the first known European expedition to Florida in 1513, naming the land 'La Florida'.

Who was Panfilo de Narvaez?

A Spanish conquistador who led a disastrous expedition to Florida in 1528, attempting to establish a colony but resulting in shipwreck and loss of most of his men.

Who was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca?

A Spanish explorer who was one of the few survivors of the Narvaez expedition, traversing much of the American Southwest and writing an account of his journey.

Who was Hernando de Soto?

A Spanish conquistador who led a large expedition through southeastern North America (including Florida) from 1539 to 1542, searching for gold and contributing to the decline of native populations.

Who was Tristán de Luna y Arellano?

A Spanish conquistador who attempted to establish a permanent colony in Pensacola, Florida, in 1559, which ultimately failed due to logistical challenges.

What is the historical significance of Pensacola in Florida?

A strategically important harbor city in northwest Florida, site of early Spanish colonial attempts and later a key port for various European powers.

Who was Admiral Gaspard de Coligny?

A leading French Huguenot (Protestant) nobleman who supported French attempts to colonize Florida in the 1560s as a refuge for Protestants.

What is a Huguenot?

A French Protestant, often Calvinist, who faced religious persecution in France and sought refuge elsewhere, including attempts to establish colonies in the New World.

Who was Jean Ribault?

A French naval officer and Huguenot who led the first French attempt to colonize Florida in 1562, establishing Charlesfort (though not in present-day Florida) and later returning to Fort Caroline.

What river was historically referred to as the River of May?

The St. Johns River in Florida, named by French explorer Jean Ribault in 1562 because he discovered it on May Day.

Who was René Goulaine de Laudonnière?

A French Huguenot leader who established Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River in Florida in 1564.

What was Fort Caroline?

A French Huguenot colony established in 1564 near the mouth of the St. Johns River in Florida, later captured and destroyed by the Spanish.

Who was Pedro Menéndez de Avilés?

A Spanish admiral and conquistador who founded St. Augustine in 1565 and led the Spanish destruction of the French Fort Caroline.

What is the historical significance of St. Augustine?

Founded in 1565 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States.

What historical event is associated with San Mateo in Florida?

The name given by the Spanish to the former French Fort Caroline after they captured and renamed it.

What is the historical significance of Matanzas in Florida?

The site of the massacre of French Huguenots by Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565, leading to the name 'Matanzas' (massacres).

What was The Black Legend?

A derogatory term used to describe a style of propaganda that demonized Spanish explorers and colonizers, often exaggerating their cruelty and corruption.

What role did Jesuits play in early Florida?

A Catholic religious order that attempted missionary work among Native Americans in Spanish Florida during the mid-16th century, though with limited success.

Who was King Philip II?

The King of Spain during the late 16th century who heavily supported the colonization of Florida to protect Spanish shipping routes and conversion of Native Americans.

What role did Franciscans play in early Florida?

A Catholic religious order that established numerous missions among Native American tribes in Spanish Florida, becoming the primary missionary force.

Who were the Peninsulares in Spanish colonial society?

Individuals born in Spain who resided in the New World, holding the highest positions in government and society.

Who were the Creoles in Spanish colonial society?

Individuals of Spanish descent born in the New World, typically ranking below Peninsulares but above mixed-race populations.

Who were the Mestizos in Spanish colonial society?

Individuals of mixed European (Spanish) and Indigenous American ancestry.

Who were the Mulattos in Spanish colonial society?

Individuals of mixed European (Spanish) and African ancestry.

Who was Sir Francis Drake and what was his significance to Florida history?

An English privateer who raided and burned St. Augustine in 1586, highlighting Spain's vulnerability in Florida.

What were the Hearings of 1602 called to decide concerning La Florida?

A series of investigative hearings commissioned by the Spanish crown to evaluate the continued viability and cost-effectiveness of maintaining the Florida colony.

Who was Robert Searles?

An English buccaneer who sacked St. Augustine in 1668, leading to renewed efforts to fortify the city.

What is the Castillo de San Marcos?

A large masonry fortress built by the Spanish in St. Augustine, Florida, from 1672-1695, to defend against English and pirate attacks.

What is coquina and its significance to Florida history?

A type of sedimentary rock composed of shell fragments, used by the Spanish to construct the Castillo de San Marcos and other fortifications in Florida.

Who was Don Andrés de Arriola?

A prominent Spanish governor and military leader who re-established and fortified the Spanish post at Pensacola in 1698.

What was the War of the Spanish Succession and its impact on Florida?

A major European conflict (1701-1714) that saw significant fighting in Florida, including English attacks on St. Augustine and Spanish attacks on English colonies.

Who was James Moore?

The English governor of Carolina who led significant raids into Spanish Florida during the War of Spanish Succession, devastating Spanish missions and Native American towns.

What was the War of the Quadruple Alliance and its relevance to Florida?

A European conflict (1718-1720) in which Spain attempted to reclaim territories, leading to some skirmishes and impacts on colonial areas like Florida.

What was the significance of Georgia's founding relative to Florida?

Established in 1733 as a buffer colony between English South Carolina and Spanish Florida, leading to increased border conflicts.

Who was James Oglethorpe?

The founder of the colony of Georgia, who led military actions against Spanish Florida, most notably during the War of Jenkins' Ear.

What was Fort Mose?

The first legally sanctioned free African settlement in British North America, established by the Spanish near St. Augustine in 1738 as a refuge for escaped slaves.

What was the War of Jenkins' Ear?

A conflict (1739-1748) primarily between Britain and Spain, sparked by an alleged ear incident, leading to significant fighting in and around Florida, including Oglethorpe's attack on St. Augustine.

Who was Don Manuel de Montiano?

The Spanish governor of Florida who successfully defended St. Augustine against James Oglethorpe's siege during the War of Jenkins' Ear.

What was the Battle of Bloody Marsh?

A decisive battle in 1742 on St. Simons Island, Georgia, where British forces, led by James Oglethorpe, repelled a Spanish invasion from Florida during the War of Jenkins' Ear.

Who was Ahaya?

A significant Seminole war chief, also known as Cowkeeper, instrumental in the formation of the Seminole identity in Florida.

Who was Secoffee?

A prominent Seminole leader and war chief in early Seminole history, often associated with Ahaya.

Who were the Seminoles?

A Native American people primarily of Florida, formed from remnant groups of various Native American tribes and escaped slaves, known for their resistance to U.S. expansion.

What was the Seven Years' War and its impact on Florida?

A global conflict (1756-1763) that resulted in Great Britain acquiring Florida from Spain in exchange for Havana in the 1763 Treaty of Paris.

What was the significance of the 1763 Treaty of Paris for Florida?

The treaty that ended the Seven Years' War, ceding Florida from Spain to Great Britain.

What were Pedro Menendez's three primary missions when he came to Florida, and how successful was he in carrying them out?

Menendez's missions included establishing a permanent Spanish colony, destroying the French Huguenot settlement, and converting Native Americans. He was successful in establishing St. Augustine and eliminating the French, but less so in widespread conversion.

How did Juan Ponce de Leon's motivation for coming to Florida differ from later Spanish explorers?

Ponce de Leon was primarily seeking new lands, adventure, and possibly the Fountain of Youth, whereas later Spaniards were more focused on establishing permanent colonies, finding mineral wealth, and countering French encroachment.

How did the Spanish Empire change under King Philip II, and how did this affect La Florida?

Under Philip II, the Spanish Empire became more centralized and focused on defending Catholic orthodoxy and its global empire. This led to increased support for Florida as a strategic outpost to protect silver fleets and as a mission field, despite its lack of direct wealth.

What were the Hearings of 1602 called to decide, what was the decision, and how might a different decision have affected U.S. history?

The hearings were to decide whether Spain should abandon or maintain La Florida. The decision was to maintain it due to its strategic importance. A different decision to abandon could have opened Florida to earlier English or French colonization, significantly altering the geopolitical landscape of early U.S. history.

What was the French motivation for settling in Florida, and what mistakes did French leadership make that led to its failure?

The French, particularly Huguenots, sought a new homeland for religious freedom and to challenge Spanish dominance. Mistakes included poor leadership, lack of resources, internal strife, and strategic vulnerability that allowed the Spanish to easily destroy Fort Caroline.