Case Studies: St. Augustine, Florida
In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida. Upon his second expedition to Florida, Ponce de Leon encountered hostile Indians, was wounded, and later died from his injuries. A subsequent expedition to Florida was made by Panfino de Narvaez in 1528, but once again resulted in an unsuccessful colonization of Florida. On September eighth 1565, Menendez de Aviles took possession of Florida under orders from King Philip II and created the municipality of St. Augustine. However, the town was not platted out until 1603. Consequently, the planning for the town was based on the 1573 Law of the Indies. This Spanish city was the first permanent settlement in the United States.
Located near the Matanzas River, St. Augustine is the first example in North America of a city built using the Law of the Indies. The plaza found in St. Augustine is known as the Plaza de la Constitucion.
Figure 10
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