The first to establish a permanent European settlement in North America was the Spanish, with St. Augustine founded in 1565 in present-day Florida. This settlement predates other European ventures and served as a strategic military outpost. It was part of Spain’s efforts to protect its territories from other powers, especially the French and English, and to spread Christianity among Indigenous peoples. St. Augustine is recognized as the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the contiguous United States, highlighting Spain's early influence in North America.