The forgotten 14th colony: St Augustine showcases its revolutionary history ahead of America's 250th

ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida – As the federation prepares to observe its 250th anniversary, St. Augustine, Florida, is honoring its bequest arsenic the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded metropolis successful the continental United States. 

Located connected Florida's northeastern coast, St. Augustine was founded successful 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez. Affectionately known arsenic the "Ancient City," it turns 461 years aged this September.

While galore radical cognize the stories of Menendez, the Spanish conquistadors and the fable of the Fountain of Youth successful St. Augustine, the city's relation successful the commencement of America is often overlooked.

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An grounds astatine the Peña-Peck House offers a look astatine St. Augustine's revolutionary history. (Amy Galo)

"You tin locomotion up immoderate thoroughfare and spot past and cognize that this was the instauration of America, and if the Spaniards really held, it mightiness person been a antithetic place," said Maria Alvarez with The Historic Florida Milita. 

Great Britain took implicit Florida from Spain successful 1763 aft the French and Indian War, which was a struggle betwixt Great Britain and France, on with their Native American allies.

"The Spanish were here, and past the British came and changed the dynamics," explained Margo Pope, past seat of The Woman's Exchange of St. Augustine. The Women's Exchange is housed wrong the historical Peña-Peck House, wherever British Gov. Patrick Tonyn lived during the American Revolution.

According to historians, what is known arsenic Florida contiguous was split successful two: East Florida and West Florida, besides known arsenic the forgotten 14th and 15th colonies of assemblage America.

The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fort successful the continental United States. (FOX News)

"The 14th colony is Saint Augustine," explained Alvarez. "East Florida has each the loyalists loyal to King George. West Florida has patriots and loyalists due to the fact that it's truthful adjacent to Spanish territory."

Florida would spell connected to play a cardinal relation successful the American Revolution, remaining loyal to Great Britain and serving arsenic a subject stronghold. 

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Thousands of British loyalists from Georgia and South Carolina fled to Florida during the Revolutionary War. On the different hand, immoderate American founding fathers were imprisoned astatine the Castillo de San Marcos fort successful St. Augustine. 

"There were 3 insignificant signers of the Declaration of Independence held captive successful the Castillo," said Alvarez. "That was Hayward, Middleton and Rutledge. So, they were held for astir 4 months."

Little known facts similar these astir St. Augustine's relation successful the American Revolution are what St. Augustine City Walks is trying to bring to the forefront with escaped walking tours, planned for each Saturday successful July.

Tour St. Augustine manager of acquisition and training, Cathy Hatton, gives FOX a sneak peek astatine the escaped Birth of America tour. (Amy Galo)

The celebratory tours instrumentality visitors done the city's historical ceramic roads and on the bayfront, uncovering assemblage stories of East Florida's loyalty to the British, imprisoned founding fathers and patriot rebels.

"We were present before," Pope said with a chuckle. "We were present first.... and we bash a batch successful the assemblage to truly marque our visitors recognize however important it was."

"I'm truthful arrogant of Saint Augustine arsenic being the first, being the archetypal successful truthful galore things," Alvarez said.

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It's thing locals besides anticipation to bring to the forefront arsenic the United States' large day approaches. While Plymouth, Massachusetts, likes to instrumentality recognition for the archetypal Thanksgiving, for example, section past experts beg to differ.

"We cognize the archetypal Catholic Mass and the archetypal feast of Thanksgiving were here. So, 42 years earlier Jamestown, 54 years earlier Plymouth Rock, determination were radical here," said Alvarez.

Fort Mose Historic State Park features a recreation of the archetypal fort built to support the archetypal legally sanctioned escaped African American colony successful the U.S. (Amy Galo)

Another cardinal spot successful St. Augustine's past is Fort Mose, the archetypal legally sanctioned, escaped Black colony successful what would go the United States. It was founded successful 1738. While the archetypal fort nary longer stands, a full-scale replica of the archetypal was built and opened to the nationalist successful 2025.

"This is specified an absorbing metropolis with everything they person here, truthful it's bully for radical to larn the past that's not covered successful the past books," Alvarez said.

Several events are planned passim the metropolis to grant America's 250th.

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The City of St. Augustine is celebrating July 4 with "Fireworks Over the Matanzas." The lawsuit features a escaped concert, fireworks implicit the bay and family-friendly activities passim the historical district. 

St. Augustine City Walks volition connection escaped "St. Augustine and the Birth of America" tours connected July 11, July 18 and July 25. Space is constricted and reservations are required.