2 years, 1 month ago
What was the very first city in the USA?
What was the first place in the USA to be given city status?
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M$2 Answers
To expand a bit on the question, the first "city" in the territory of present-day USA was Cahokia, established around 600 CE in what is today the state of Illinois.
- quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahokia ) -
Cahokia (pronounced /kəˈhoʊki.ə/) is the site of an ancient indigenous city (ca 600–1400 CE) near Collinsville, Illinois. In the American Bottom floodplain, it is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. The 2,200-acre (8.9 km^2) site included 120 man-made earthen mounds over an area of six square miles, although only 80 survive. Cahokia Mounds is the largest archaeological site related to the Mississippian culture, which developed advanced societies in eastern North America centuries before the arrival of Europeans.
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Acoma Pueblo (or Sky City), founded around 1000 CE is among the oldest continuously populated communities in the US.
- quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoma_Pueblo ) -
Acoma Pueblo (pronounced /ˈækəmə/; Western Keresan: Aa'ku; Zuni: Hakukya); Haak'ooh in Navajo, also known as "Sky City", is a Native American pueblo built on top of a 367-foot (112 m) sandstone mesa in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States.
- end quote -
You can see a full list of cities in North America sorted by year of foundation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_cities_by_year_of_foundation .
St. Augustine, Florida was the first continuously inhabited European city in the current-day area of the US:
- quote ( ) -
St. Augustine, First American City
Although settled by the Spanish St. Augustine is the first city
The oldest permanent European settlement in North America was not Jamestown, but rather St. Augustine. Saint Augustine was established by a Spanish Admiral and Governor named Pedro Menendez de Aviles on September 8, 1565.
- end quote -
However, San Juan, Puerto Rico was established in its current location earlier, in 1509 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_Puerto_Rico ).
Even limiting ourselves to the continental US, Pensacola, Florida, was settled before St. Augustine, in 1559, but was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt 135 years later.
- quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensacola,_Florida ) -
Pensacola, Florida has a rich and colorful history dating nearly 450 years, being the first European settlement in the continental United States (1559).
...
Due to prior exploration, the first settlement of Pensacola was large, landing on August 15, 1559, and led by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano with over 1,400 people on 11 ships from Vera Cruz, Mexico. However, weeks later, the colony was decimated by a hurricane on September 19, 1559, which killed hundreds, sank five ships, grounded a caravel, and ruined supplies. The 1,000 survivors divided to relocate/resupply the settlement, but due to famine and attacks, the effort was abandoned in 1561.
...
the Viceroy's advisers concluded northwest Florida was too dangerous to settle, for 135 years. Pensacola was permanently reestablished by the Spanish in 1696 on the mainland, near Fort Barrancas... and became the largest city in Florida, as the capital of the British colony of West Florida in 1763. Another major hurricane devastated the settlement in 1722, causing the French occupation to evacuate, and the Spanish returned.
- end quote -
- quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahokia ) -
Cahokia (pronounced /kəˈhoʊki.ə/) is the site of an ancient indigenous city (ca 600–1400 CE) near Collinsville, Illinois. In the American Bottom floodplain, it is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. The 2,200-acre (8.9 km^2) site included 120 man-made earthen mounds over an area of six square miles, although only 80 survive. Cahokia Mounds is the largest archaeological site related to the Mississippian culture, which developed advanced societies in eastern North America centuries before the arrival of Europeans.
- end quote -
Acoma Pueblo (or Sky City), founded around 1000 CE is among the oldest continuously populated communities in the US.
- quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoma_Pueblo ) -
Acoma Pueblo (pronounced /ˈækəmə/; Western Keresan: Aa'ku; Zuni: Hakukya); Haak'ooh in Navajo, also known as "Sky City", is a Native American pueblo built on top of a 367-foot (112 m) sandstone mesa in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States.
- end quote -
You can see a full list of cities in North America sorted by year of foundation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_North_American_cities_by_year_of_foundation .
St. Augustine, Florida was the first continuously inhabited European city in the current-day area of the US:
- quote ( ) -
St. Augustine, First American City
Although settled by the Spanish St. Augustine is the first city
The oldest permanent European settlement in North America was not Jamestown, but rather St. Augustine. Saint Augustine was established by a Spanish Admiral and Governor named Pedro Menendez de Aviles on September 8, 1565.
- end quote -
However, San Juan, Puerto Rico was established in its current location earlier, in 1509 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_Puerto_Rico ).
Even limiting ourselves to the continental US, Pensacola, Florida, was settled before St. Augustine, in 1559, but was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt 135 years later.
- quote (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pensacola,_Florida ) -
Pensacola, Florida has a rich and colorful history dating nearly 450 years, being the first European settlement in the continental United States (1559).
...
Due to prior exploration, the first settlement of Pensacola was large, landing on August 15, 1559, and led by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano with over 1,400 people on 11 ships from Vera Cruz, Mexico. However, weeks later, the colony was decimated by a hurricane on September 19, 1559, which killed hundreds, sank five ships, grounded a caravel, and ruined supplies. The 1,000 survivors divided to relocate/resupply the settlement, but due to famine and attacks, the effort was abandoned in 1561.
...
the Viceroy's advisers concluded northwest Florida was too dangerous to settle, for 135 years. Pensacola was permanently reestablished by the Spanish in 1696 on the mainland, near Fort Barrancas... and became the largest city in Florida, as the capital of the British colony of West Florida in 1763. Another major hurricane devastated the settlement in 1722, causing the French occupation to evacuate, and the Spanish returned.
- end quote -
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M$
The first city founded in USA is St. Augustine. It's founded on 1565.
Full article is in the source. Hope this helps! :)
Full article is in the source. Hope this helps! :)
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I only realised afterwards that there might be scope for this type of answer, excellent answer @opher.
Superb answer as I say, I guess Jamestown, Virginia deserves its mention too as the first city to be created while within the borders of a place called "USA".