From this article, some of the oldest documents preserved in the U.S.:Catholic documents in oldest US city preservedIt's interesting when I'm reminded that America, too, has a history that dips back into the 16th century.  It's hard to believe since we often only talk about America's birth in the 18th century.  But yes, at least the state of Florida had a history for some 170 years before the British took over in the 1760s.