Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by the states of Alabama and Georgia, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León originally named it La Florida ("Flowery Land") upon its discovery in 1513.

History

Age of Discovery

In 1503, after the discovery of the New World in the late 15th century, the Assassins began spreading their influence to the Americas. By 1510, they had established a fledgling Brotherhood in Florida.

That same year, the Puerto Ricans Alonso Carlo and his adopted son Miguel Ramón Carlo de Lugo fled to Florida after Carlo was accused of attempting to assassinate Juan Ponce de León, the Governor of Puerto Rico. They found a safe haven with the Assassins, and Miguel was trained to become a member of the Brotherhood.

Miguel running away from a wounded Ponce de León

In 1521, Ponce de León journeyed to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth, enchanted by the myth that the fountain's waters granted eternal youth. The fountain truthfully housed a Piece of Eden, and was under the protection of the Assassin Brotherhood. Miguel Ramón was sent to convince Ponce de León to stop his journey, but the latter refused to renounce his quest. The Assassins then fired a poisoned arrow at Ponce de León, and he eventually succumbed to his injury after his return to Havana.

Age of Colonialism

From 1693 to 1699, Florida was governed by Laureano de Torres y Ayala, who had gained the post thanks to his membership within the Templar Order.

During the early 18th century, Florida was frequently visited by pirates in search of treasure after the sinking of the Spanish Treasure Fleet in 1715. Edward Kenway, a pirate-turned-Assassin, also visited the islands of southern Florida, where he happened upon the recent wreckage of beached Spanish and British warships.

Another member of the Templar Order, Alonso Fernández de Heredia, was Governor of Florida from 1751 to 1758. He used his military actions against the British colony of Georgia to cover the Templar activities in the Gulf of Mexico, and traded slaves with the Mexican site of Chichen Itza.

In 1751, with the increasing power of the Colonial Brotherhood and the possibility of Assassin interference, John Harrison suggested that the Order leave the peninsula, moving the headquarters of their operations to Louisiana.

During the Seven Years' War, the Templar Shay Cormac sent troop-filled ships to Florida to aid in the local war effort and further the Templars' own interests. After their initial gambit paid off, the Templars sent a second wave of troops to consolidate their success.

Edward Kenway's grandson, Ratonhnhaké:ton, sailed to St. Augustine in 1773. On his way, he eliminated privateer ships such as the Saint James, increasing the safety of trade convoys to Florida.

Modern times

In 2000, during the United States presidential election, Abstergo Industries manipulated the electoral voting procedure of Florida to ensure that their political puppet, George W. Bush, won the presidency. Their success was made possible by the death of the Assassins' Mentor at the hands of Daniel Cross, which ruined the Brotherhood's efforts to influence the outcome of the elections and ensure the victory of their own supported candidate, Al Gore.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: The Fall (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations – Discover Your Legacy
• Assassin's Creed III
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue