In 1513 explorer Juan Ponce de León landed somewhere on the northeast coast of the present State of Florida. He claimed "La Florida" for Spain and then sailed south passing around the Florida Keys. By 1568, Spain had claimed a vast area of land along the western side of North America and to secure that claim they created a series of farms which were built within missions, leading to the creation of the twenty one missions along what is now Highway101 in California. From east to west the city of St Augustine and the California Mission Trail bear witness to Spain's nationwide influence on the history of America. Today, approximately 42.7 million Hispanic Americans make up the largest ethnic minority in the nation. In addition to a historical connection with Spain and Mexico, Hispanic Americans now come from all over South and Central America, Cuba and Puerto Rico, and with them come five centuries of enriching Hispanic culture for us to celebrate. The BLRC salutes Hispanic American Heritage and invites you to discover more about the California Mission Trail or the city of St. Augustine by visiting the links below or the BLRC for our selection of titles on Hispanic culture.~ Laurie Pictured above: Carmel Mission, Carmel California
http://www.staugustinelinks.com/st-augustine-history.asp
http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/LewisClark2/Circa1804/WestwardExpansion/EarlyExplorers/CaliforniaMissions.htm
