The area that now comprises Florida was mapped by Alberto Cantino in 1502. Later, in 1513 Ponce de Leon landed near St. Augustine. His landing occurred during the Easter Season, or Spanish "Pascua Florida." The Feast of the Flowers, thus the name of Florida.
The Naruaez Expedition came ashore near Tampa in 1528 and Hernando DeSoto followed in 1539, between 1559 and 1819, the area known as Florida was under the domination of four nations Spain, France, Great Britain and the United States.
In 1780, Spain captured Pensacola and reacquired Florida by right of conquest in the treaty of Paris 1783. Great Britain in 1763, gave Havana to Spain.
In 1821, the United States paid Spain and gave up American rights to Texas in a trade for Florida. Andrew Jackson was appointed the First Territorial Governor. Florida made application to become a state in 1838 but had to wait until 1845 before they were admitted because of a special rule in the US. Congress regarding Southern States which was caused by the slavery question.
Thus, Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. Florida seceded from the Union in January 1861 and was under the Confederate Flag until the end of the Civil War. Florida was re-established in 1868 with Harrison Reed as the first Constitutional Governor.
Harrison Reed was the ninth Governor of Florida and notably the first to serve under the state's new 1868 Constitution, which was adopted during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War.