Long before the English established Jamestown or the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Spain had already explored, conquered, and settled vast regions of what is now the United States. This study group examines Spain's efforts to establish an empire in North America, focusing on the conquest and colonization of Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and California. Participants will explore the motivations behind Spanish expansion, the roles of missionaries, soldiers, and settlers, and the complex interactions between Spanish colonists and Indigenous peoples. By comparing these four regions this study group explains how Spanish colonization was never a single uniform process but a mosaic of local adaptations, conflicts, and cultural exchanges that continue to influence the United States today.