Episode 1.1: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the Father of Florida

History: Beyond the Textbook

The phrase "conquistador" is often associated with men like Cortes and Pizarro...men who conquered the great civilizations south of the Rio Grande. But what about the conquistadors who made a name for themselves in what became the United States? In the first episode of "History: Beyond the Textbook," we explore the man who is credited with founding St. Augustine Florida, the oldest European city in the contiguous United States: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés.
Key People
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Spanish conquistador
Jean Ribault, French colonial
Key Events
Founding of St. Augustine, Florida

The second season of History: Beyond the Textbook focuses on the stories of individuals who shaped the Revolutionary era in American history, and runs from February 27-May 7.
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