Tourism In St Augustine Essay Research Paper — страница 2

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French troops at Matanzas Inlet, the river of blood. It was there that he negotiated their surrender and then be headed all but a few Catholics. This is the site of Fort Matanzas, a small outpost used as a lookout point for the southern frontier. During the end of the sixteenth century Spain suffered many losses in Florida leaving them with little more than a seaport city on the northeast coast of the peninsula. It was attacks such as Drakes Raid and uprisings of the native Indians that left the town in so much a weakened state. Spanish officials considered the possibility of closing the colony, however, St. Augustine survived and its people preserved through all the difficulties of frontier life. In the seventeenth century Christianity was wide spread as the Franciscan Mission

System dotted the east coast and created a pathway westward to the Mississippi. This was also the time period in which the Castillo de San Marcos was converted to a stone fortification. After nine wooden forts were previously built and burned, the stone Castillo, strongly armed with cannons, defended the port and the city. The next century would be a time of conflict and international exchanges of the colony. For the remainder of the first Spanish period (1565-1763) British excursions and Indian uprisings made life in St. Augustine extremely difficult. In 1763 the British finally occupied the city, not by force but through a peace treaty at the end of the Seven Years war. During the American Revolution, St. Augustine observed a great influx of immigration. As a result the city

became a multi-cultural and multi-national community. Religion also witnessed a change of hands as English Protestantism was dominant to the small number of missions who continued practicing Catholicism. From 1784-1821 the second Spanish period came about as a result of Spain s involvement in the Revolutionary War. The Spanish tried to reinstate Catholicism as the dominant religion but failed as the multi-cultural community continued to practice their own religions. Consequent to the emergence of a new population of Americans, Minorcans, British loyalist and subjects, accompanied by a new plantation economy, Spain would never really regain control of the colony. Sick of it all, Spain relinquished Florida to the United States in 1819, along with five million dollars of Spanish

debt. After the American acquisition of Florida, land speculators moved in from the north and started large commercial plantations. During the first century of American control the Castillo de San Marcos played a part in both the Seminole and Civil Wars. Soon after the Civil War, rich tourist from the north started to spend their time in Florida. The first Florida guide book , A Winter in Florida, was followed by , Tourist, Invalids and Settlers, twelve years later. The two books offered readers an abundance of information about St. Augustine which was recommended for its, quaint, romantic character, historic structure, and healthfulness. Several years later Henry Flaglar made a dream come true as he built an empire of railroads and hotels extending from St. Augustine to Key West

known as, the American Riviera. Florida became the new retreat for the wealthy and the famous. It saw the likes of visitors such as John Jacob Astor, Warren G. Harding, John D. Rockefeller, Will Rogers and Theodore Roosevelt. In less than a decade St, Augustine exploded with churches, winter homes and huge hotels with the majority of structures following the fashion of the Spanish Renaissance architectural style. A prime example of the buildings of this time period is the Ponce de Leon Hotel now known as Flaglar College. As Flaglar had foreseen, thousands of wealthy tourists were traveling to Florida and St. Augustine to enjoy the magnificent resorts of Flaglar and his competitors. In time many of these visitors purchased property and settled here, some seasonally and some

permanently. After the first World War, many middle classfamilies began to vacation and move to the Sunshine State. Strangers visiting the many historic sites and interesting attractions would be a common site during the prime seasons. In 1965 on the city s four hundredth birthday, St. Augustine was well known for its age, historical significance, unusual architecture, and scenic beauty. Today, St. Augustine stands as a tribute to the past, a living history. This preserved history of the city, not to mention the changes and growth in the twentieth century is simply outstanding. The story of this quaint seaport city is the story of the discovery and settlement of North America. The multi-cultural and multi-ethnic population that existed more than 500 years ago is still present