In 1565, long before English settlements at Jamestown and Plymouth Rock, Spaniards founded St. Augustine. Along with Native Americans and free and enslaved Africans, they established the country's first enduring European settlement. Discover the first colony through archaeology, history and the stories of people who lived there in this hands-on, interactive exhibition. These first colonial immigrants created America’s original “melting pot” — a colorful, multicultural society that was new then, but might seem familiar today. The First Colony: Our Spanish Origins exhibit is housed at Governor's House in St. Augustine. It was developed in partnership between UFHSA and UF’s Florida Museum of Natural History, funded in part with historic preservation grant assistance provided by the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State, assisted by the Florida Historical Commission.