THE MARITIME WORLD OF JUAN PONCE DE LEÓN

On Saturday, January 14th, Florida Living History, Inc. (FLH), in
partnership with the First Light Maritime Society, will offer a new heritage Event – The Maritime World of Juan
Ponce de León. Presented by FLH’s member group, La Compañía de Juan Ponce de León / The Company of Juan
Ponce de León (c. 1513 - 1521), this living-history Event will take place from 10AM to 4PM at the St. Augustine
Lighthouse & Museum ( www.staugustinelighthouse.org/ ), in St. Augustine, FL, the oldest, continually occupied
European settlement and port in the continental United States.
The Maritime World of Juan Ponce de León Event will explore the daily life of mariners in the early Spanish
Caribbean and, in particular, focus on Ponce de León’s “First Fleet,” which carried passengers and crew – white,

black, Native American; male and female; soldier and sailor; slave and free – who became the first documented
Europeans and Africans to set foot on what is now the continental United States, landing on the east coast of Florida
in April 1513. Ponce de León, the founder of Florida, went on to establish the ill-fated “First Colony” – the first
European settlement in the continental U.S. – on the southwest coast of Florida in March of 1521. In addition to
historical demonstrations and displays, noted Florida map expert, Peter A. Cowdrey, Jr., Educator-in-Residence at
the Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee, will be discussing the early 16th-century maps of the Caribbean and
Florida. Mr. Cowdrey will also be demonstrating the use of the navigation tools which guided Ponce de León’s ships
to La Florida. In preparation for Florida’s 500th anniversary in 2013, this Event will be the first in FLH’s 2012 series of
Ponce-de-León living-history Events.
Admission to The Maritime World of Juan Ponce de León Event is free of charge to the public. Admission to the St.
Augustine Lighthouse & Museum is:
• Adults – $9.50
• Seniors (60 & over) – $7.50
• Children (age 12 or under and 44" or taller) – $7.50
Ample, free parking is available onsite.
This new, heritage Event is sponsored by Florida Living History, Inc. ( www.floridalivinghistory.org ) and the First
Light Maritime Society ( www.staugustinelighthouse.org/flms/ ). Support for this Event has been provided, in part,
through the generosity of NTE Energy, LLC ( www.nteenergy.com ).
For more information on La Compañía de Juan Ponce de León, please contact us at
info@companyofponcedeleon.org or phone us, toll-free, at 1-877-FLA-HIST (1-877-352-4478)!
We know the myth; it’s time to share the history. – Dr. J. Michael Francis
Florida Living History, Inc.,
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the support of
living history activities, events, and portrayals related to the history of colonial Florida.
www.floridalivinghistory.org

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