Hispanic Americans A Proud Heritage Stamp

Front:
Hispanic Americans CHINGTON OCT 31 1984 20066 ASinns A Proud Heritage USA 20

Back:
HISPANIC AMERICANS First Day of Issue: October 31, 1984 First Issue Location: Washington, D.C. 20066 Hispanics have influenced America since its earliest beginnings. For instance, Ponce de Leon — a Spanish explorer and conqueror – accompanied Christopher Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to America. Fifteen years later Ponce de Leon conquered Puerto Rico . . . and became governor of the island the next year. Learning from the Indians that there was a nearby island named Bimini with the famed Fountain of Youth, he set out to find it. Although he never found the mythical fountain, he did find Florida. Further west in America, other Hispanics were establishing reputations. Spaniard Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to sight the coast of what is now California in 1542. A little over two hundred years later Spain began occupying California . . . and in 1769 a Franciscan priest named Junipero Serra founded Mission San Diego — the first within the present state of California. In our contempo- rary world, Hispanic Americans are still setting standards and contributing to modern American life. No. 84-49 ©1984 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation · Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Richard Simms.