✥ SETTLEMENT ✥
Copyright © 2000 Heinle & Heinle
T
he first Spanish settlement in Florida was actually a reaction to a French settlement.
The Spaniards did not like that the French had built a settlement, named Fort Caroline,
on what they considered their territory. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was thus sent to rid Florida
of the French and to protect the Spanish trade route from Cuba to Spain. Spain was shipping
its citizens and its newfound riches home by way of the Florida coast. Ships would leave Cuba
laden with cargo of silver and gold and head up along Florida’s coast until they finally turned
toward Spain. This way they could use the Gulf Stream and shorten their trip. They did not
want to have to worry about attacks from the French along the Florida coast.
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was like Hernando de Soto, a rich man who was given
permission to establish a settlement in Florida. Although no riches had been found he believed
in this venture and invested his own money in it. He brought with him people, livestock, and
seeds to plant crops. He was given many titles: marquis, captain general of the Spanish fleet,
and governor of Florida. If all went well his settlement would make him an even wealthier man.
He had a good start with 1,500 people from many different professions: silversmiths, tanners,
and farmers among others. Although storms caused delays finally Menéndez arrived in Florida
with 500 soldiers, 200 sailors, and 100 others ready to take on the French at Fort Caroline. The
French were defeated and the site where the fighting took place was named “Matanzas,” or
slaughter. The French never again tried to establish a settlement in Florida. Menéndez named
his settlement St. Augustine and it became the first European town in Florida and in the United
States. Menéndez set up other small villages along Florida’s coast but St. Augustine was the
main Spanish settlement on the Eastern Atlantic coast for over 200 years.
The Catholic Church was also interested in Florida at this time, but not for the same
reasons as Menéndez. Through the Franciscan missions, the Church tried to Christianize and
Europeanize the Indians thinking this would make them allies of Spain. By 1680 the
Franciscans had established 52 small missions. They were mainly in northern Florida, along
the coast north of St. Augustine to present-day St. Catherine’s Island. A few were inland from
St. Augustine near Tallahassee.
Since the Florida coast was part of Spain’s trade route, it was also the target of pirate
attacks. From 1587 to 1821 Spain was transporting huge amounts of gold and silver off the
coast of Florida. It was logical that pirates would be close at hand trying to steal all they could.
The English pirate Sir Francis Drake visited St. Augustine in 1587 and caused much unrest for
the tiny settlement. One of the most famous of these pirates is a state legend, José Gaspar,
also known as Gasparilla. Oddly, Tampa celebrates the accomplishments of this man during a
week-long festival in February. José Gaspar was born in Spain and as a young man enlisted
in the Spanish navy. He became an “almirante,” an admiral, in 1782. While he was almirante
he was falsely accused of stealing royal jewels. Before being punished, José escaped, stole a
ship, and enlisted some convicts as his crew. They became pirates and José Gaspar decided
to get his revenge on Spain. According to his journal, by 1795 he had captured and burned
36 ships. He continued to plunder and burn Spanish ships for 26 years!
After capturing a ship he would separate the men and the women and children. If he was
short on crew, he might ask some strong young male if he wanted to become a pirate. He
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Level 1, Section B
Settlement
Copyright © 2000 Heinle & Heinle
who accepted would live. He who refused would be knifed and thrown overboard. Gasparilla
had no use for old women and children; they were generally thrown to the sharks. Women
from wealthy families were ransomed. After their families paid the fee in gold or silver he
would take them ashore. Young women who were not from wealthy families were forced to
live miserable lives with the officers and crew.
José Gaspar was brutal and his anger was well known. One story tells of how he tried to
take a woman’s gold earrings. She resisted him and spat in his face. He was so enraged that
he had her tied to the mast by her braids and then cut off her ears with his sword!
José Gaspar met his end in a curious way. In 1821 he had been banished from Florida.
He was 65 years old and Florida was to be transferred to the United States. All his treasure
was dug up and his captives were set free. He was preparing to retire when he saw a British
ship off Gasparilla Island. He decided to take one more prize. The ship was actually an
American ship, the Enterprise, and its guns had been camouflaged. The Americans fired on
Gaspar. Realizing that he would be captured, Gaspar committed suicide by wrapping the
anchor line around his body and throwing himself into the Gulf.
In addition to pirates, the citizens of St. Augustine had to worry about attacks from other
countries. The Castillo de San Marcos, a stone fort, finally replaced St Augustine’s wooden fort
in 1672 after the English attacked the city and killed many of its citizens. Spain continued to
hold Florida against attacks from the French and British until 1763, the year in which the
British took Florida and evacuated the Spanish. After two centuries of colonization Spain
retained only the settlement at St. Augustine, a garrison at St. Marks and a small settlement
at Pensacola. The British had captured Havana, Cuba. In exchange for it, Spain gave up
Florida.
Twenty-one years later Florida was returned to Spain under the Treaty of Paris. Spain was
granted all of Florida and the Louisiana Territory, an area that stretched as far as present-day
Canada. Many of the British citizens subsequently left St. Augustine and the surrounding area.
The new Spanish governor, Vicente Manuel de Zépedes, courted some of the remaining
planters hoping they would stay. During the next 40 years, Spain would not significantly
increase the population of Spaniards in Florida or successfully govern the territory. They were
only able to continue to maintain the area as it was. Finally in 1821, Florida was ceded to the
United States.
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¡Ya veras! Gold
Readings and Activities for Florida Students
Questions
Answer the following questions with short sentences.
1. Where is the first and most important settlement in Florida?
2. How long was Florida part of Spain?
3. Who was José Gaspar?
4. Where were José Gaspar‘s headquarters?
5. How did he handle his prisoners?
6. How did Gaspar die?
7.
What other settlements did the Spanish have in Florida besides St. Augustine?
8. How did Spain lose Florida to the British?
9. When did Spain control Florida for the second time?
10. When did Florida become part of the United States?
Activities
1. Much of St. Augustine and the Castillo de San Marcos have been restored. Using books or the
Internet find out what it looks like. Make a presentation showing your class what St. Augustine is
like today. You can also investigate Pensacola and Tallahassee.
2. In a small group decide what kind of people would have been good settlers or colonists for Florida.
Make a list of characteristics that are needed. Compare and contrast how they would differ from
the sailor/adventurers that we talked about in the first section.
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3. Using different sources draw a map showing where the Franciscan missions were located in
Florida.