May I recommend reading more about Juan Ponce de Leon and his conquistador explorations. It's important to know that the lands "discovered" by European explorers of this time already had people living on them in thriving communities. You can learn more about the Timucuan people who lived on these lands when Ponce de Leon arrived. The European explorers - called Conquistadors used violence and other brutal tactics to force these people to give over their land and their resources. Often times, people were killed or enslaved. Brainpop has two videos that explain the conquistadores are and how the Columbian Exchange affected the native people of the Americas.

You can visit the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida. My cousins and I went there when I was in middle school - it was a lot of fun! There's got to be pictures somewhere...

Florida was purchased by the United States in 1819, and became a the 27th state in 1845. Just 16 years later it would seceded from the United States, and join the Confederacy during the Civil War. Florida rejoined the United States after the end of the war in 1865. Florida is home to many National Parks, including Everglades National Park, as well as the NASA Kennedy Space Center.

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