St. Augustine is the oldest European city in the United States. The area was first visited by Ponce de Leon in 1513, but it was Juan Menendez de Aviles who established the first settlement, almost half a century before the first English settlers landed at Jamestown. St Augustine grew to become the Spanish center of power in North America for almost 200 years.
The 100 settlers went through the same sorts of problems that all colonists in America had to endure: wars with the British, French and Native Americans, famine, plagues and one unique problem, hurricanes. In 1672 the Spanish, under the direction of Queen Mariana, built Castillo de San Marcos, a military fortress, to protect their interests from the ever expanding British Empire. St. Augustine was sacked twice by the British but the Spanish survived by laying low in the Castillo.
The British gained control of the city in 1763 and it remained loyal to Britain during the Revolutionary war. It was briefly returned to the Spanish in 1784 because of a provision of the Treaty of Paris. The Spanish who had left during British control came back and tried to return the city to it's former self but were thwarted by the decline of Spanish fortunes everywhere.
The Spanish sold Florida to America in 1821 and left the city. St. Augustine prospered during the Seminole war of the 1830's due to its military involvement in the war. The city eventually got good road systems and a bigger population.
In 1883, Henry Flagler (Oil Tycoon) came to the city. He was so impressed that he invested in St. Augustine's restoration and development of the city as a winter resort. Flagler contributed some of the cities grandest architecture, such as the Alcazar hotel (now the Lightner Museum), the Cordova (Now the county courthouse) and the Ponce de Leon (now Flagler College).
In this century St. Augustine has been a constant tourist destination. Once the scene of tacky roadside attractions, the city has focused on the historic area over the past few decades and created a comfortable blend of atmosphere, shopping and history.
Groups like the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board have done much for the city in the way of preservation, restoration and bringing the city's rich history to light. Today the city maintains its colonial Spanish flavor, with many original and authentically restored residences and sites which line the city's small, cozy streets.
St. Augustine is the oldest European city in the United States. The area was first visited by Ponce de Leon in 1513, but it was Juan Menendez de Aviles who established the first settlement, almost half a century before the first English settlers landed at Jamestown. St Augustine grew to become the Spanish center of power in North America for almost 200 years. 
