Complex sentence: Parris Island was first discovered by Europeans in 1562, when members of a French expedition led by Jean Ribaut temporarily settled on the island--the first semi-permanent European settlement in what are considered now as the United States.
Split into simpler sentences: Parris Island was first discovered by Europeans in 1562, when members of a French expedition led by Jean Ribaut temporarily settled on the island. This was the first semi-permanent European settlement in what are considered now as the United States.