Beginning in the second half of the 16th century, the Kingdom of
Spain established a number of missions throughout
la Florida in order to convert the
Indians to
Christianity, to facilitate control of the area, and to prevent its colonization by other countries, in particular,
England and
France. Spanish Florida originally included much of what is now the
Southeastern United States, although Spain never exercised long-term effective control over more than the northern part of what is now the State of
Florida from present-day
St. Augustine to the area around
Tallahassee, southeastern
Georgia, and some coastal settlements, such as
Pensacola, Florida. A few short-lived missions were established in other locations, including
Mission Santa Elena in present-day
South Carolina, around the Florida peninsula, and in the interior of Georgia and
Alabama.