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Celebrating St. Augustine

Jamestown, Virginia, received a lot of attention as it celebrated the 400th anniversary of its founding, but St. Augustine, Florida, passed that milestone over four decades ago. Originally a Spanish settlement, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the nation, and officials there say it's time for it to get the recognition it deserves.

St. Augustine marked its 442nd birthday from August 28 to September 1. The celebration included historical re-enactments, entertainment, and a Thanksgiving feast. The Spaniards of St. Augustine and the Timucuan Native Americans—not the English Pilgrims of Massachusetts—celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the New World. The Pilgrims' feast took place in 1621; the St. Augustine feast took place in September of 1565. Most Americans don't know about the St. Augustine Thanksgiving. In fact, most Americans are unaware of the history of St. Augustine.

St. Augustine was founded on September 8, 1565, by Spaniard Pedro Menendez de Aviles and his expedition of 500 soldiers, 200 sailors, and 100 farmers and craftsmen. Some brought their wives and children. The first schools, hospitals, and banks in what is now the United States were built in St. Augustine.

Unlike the Jamestown settlers, who arrived in the New World to make money off the land, the St. Augustine arrivals established their settlement for military purposes.

"They didn't come here to settle Florida. They didn't come here to mine its riches. They didn't come here to colonize. They came here to set up a military base that would prevent their enemies from establishing a position from which they could menace the treasure ships of Spain off the coast," said Bill Adams, St. Augustine's director of Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism.

Enemies seemed to be everywhere. St. Augustine's early settlers had to defend against French and British attacks, sometimes hostile Native Americans, mosquitoes, disease,

pirates, and hurricanes. In 1672, to protect St. Augustine from the British, the Spanish built a fort called the Castillo de San Marcos.

The Spanish did not completely isolate themselves, however. In 1738, they established Fort Mose, a community of ex-slaves about two miles north of the Castillo. It was the first free-black community in what is now the United States. About 100 men, women, and children lived in the settlement. Most had been enslaved by the British and were given their freedom if they were able to escape and make their way to the Spanish territory. To live there, they had to serve in the Spanish militia and convert to Roman Catholicism.

St. Augustine was also the site of the first European birth in the New World. The child, Martin de Arguelles, was born in either 1566 or 1567. Most Americans know about Virginia Dare, a child of English settlers who was born in North Carolina in 1587, but Martin de Arguelles is largely unknown.

Historians tend to compare St. Augustine with Jamestown, since each was the first North American settlement for a European country. St. Augustine experts, however, set their city apart for an important reason—unlike Jamestown, which is now a reconstruction for tourists, St. Augustine still exists as a real city, and people still live there.

"We are a living city," said former Mayor George Gardner. "This is the oldest town plan in the United States. It still exists. It is still intact. There are 36 buildings dating back to colonial times and 40 that were reconstructed for the city's 400th birthday." Bill Adams says he believes that Americans should know about and celebrate St. Augustine's contribution to history.

"St. Augustine is not only the birthplace of European culture and settlement in the United States, but of Spanish culture in North America," Adams pointed out. Historians have tended to "write the Spanish out of their history books or diminish their contributions," he explained.

William Kelso, director of archaeology at Historic Jamestowne, said he understands the importance of St. Augustine. He attended the city's 400th birthday celebration in 1965.

"St. Augustine is an untold story, almost like Jamestown," Kelso said. "All the colonies have something to add to the creation story of modern America."

Dictionary

isolate(verb)to separate from someone or something
milestone(noun)an important or significant event
re-enactment(noun)a recreation of an event that already occurred

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)

  1. Which of these happened after St. Augustine, Florida, celebrated its 400th anniversary?
  1. St. Augustine, Florida, built its first hospital.
  2. St. Augustine, Florida, built fort Castillo de San Marcos.
  3. Jamestown, Virginia, had its first Thanksgiving feast.
  4. Jamestown, Virginia, had its 400th anniversary.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

  1. St. Augustine attracts many visitors who learn about its history and feel that its past is very similar to that of Jamestown.
  2. St. Augustine had a huge 442nd to celebrate the founding of the settlement for financial reasons.
  3. St. Augustine celebrated its 442nd anniversary, but many are unaware that it was the site of the first Thanksgiving feast.
  4. St. Augustine was home to the Timucuan Native Americans and to about 800 Spanish in 1621.

3. According to the article, why did Spain send Pedro Menendez de Aviles to establish a settlement in St. Augustine?

  1. To set up businesses in the New World since Spain's economy was poor
  2. To prevent other countries from harming the Native Americans there
  3. To prevent enemies from being able to attack Spain's treasure ships
  4. To set up schools for Spanish children in the New World

4. Based on information in the article, how is St. Augustine different from Jamestown?

  1. St. Augustine's settlers did not talk to the Native Americans.
  2. St. Augustine was destroyed and then rebuilt.
  3. St. Augustine's history is well known by most Americans.
  4. St. Augustine is still a living city with residents.

5. Which is the closest antonym for the word convert?

  1. Falter
  2. Lure
  3. Overcome
  4. Maintain

6. The news article says all of the following except ______.

  1. St. Augustine was destroyed by the British and then rebuilt by the Spanish.
  2. St. Augustine was the site of the first banks, hospitals, and schools of the New World.
  3. St. Augustine had a military fort called the Castillo de San Marcos, built in 1672.
  4. St. Augustine had many ships coming to it from Spain carrying treasures.

7. The article states: Enemies seemed to be everywhere. St. Augustine's early settlers had to defend against French and British attacks, sometimes hostile Native Americans, mosquitoes, disease, pirates, and hurricanes.Which would be the closest synonym for the word hostile?

  1. Unstable
  2. Humane
  3. Massive
  4. Unfriendly

8. Which of these is a statement of opinion?

  1. St. Augustine, Florida, has a more interesting past than Jamestown.
  2. The Spanish settlers of St. Augustine were mostly soldiers, sailors, farmers, and craftsmen.
  1. The Spanish settlers of St. Augustine sometimes fought with the Native Americans who lived there.
  2. St. Augustine, Florida, is an older American city than Jamestown.

Thought Question:Suppose that you could help plan the next anniversary celebration for St. Augustine. What events or displays would you plan? What historic information would you include? Support your answer with details from the article, as well as ideas of your own. Write your answer in the box below. (5 points)