Spanish Florida

Spanish Florida, or "la Florida", was a province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, Florida was a minor component of the Spanish Empire. Wide-ranging expeditions were mounted into the hinterland during the 16th century, but Spain never exercised effective control of Florida outside of a band from what is now southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida to the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico east of the Apalachicola River, and around a few ports on the northern coast of the Gulf.