To celebrate the 500th anniversary of Ponce De Leon’s landing in Florida, Gainesville residents and UF students can learn about the state’s roots at the Celebrating La Florida: Spanish Origins at the Edge of the World event.
The event will be held Saturday at 10:15 a.m. in the Powell Hall Classroom, located at 3215 Hull Road.
A panel, consisting of five University Press of Florida authors, will discuss the history of Florida and hold a Q-and-A session, said marketing manager Teal Amthor-Shaffer.
“The idea is to make this engaging for the public,” she said.
The event will target residents who are already in touch with state history, she said, as well as people who are interested in finding out what De Leon’s monumental discovery of the state is all about.
“A lot of people don’t realize how far back Florida history goes, even if they are residents here,” she said.
Steve Noll, a UF history professor and one of the event speakers, said De Leon’s landing in Florida was significant because it kicked off the period of European control in the state.
“It marks the first real significant contact between European and Native Americans [in Florida],” he said. “Florida’s native environment is amazing because it is probably so different from most of the United States.”
Contact Kelcee Griffis at kgriffis@alligator.org.
