Evidence from the Juan Pardo Expeditions (1566-1568) Chester B
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University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Faculty & Staff ubP lications Institute of 1987 Sixteenth Century European Trade in the Southeastern United States: Evidence from the Juan Pardo Expeditions (1566-1568) Chester B. DePratter University of South Carolina - Columbia, [email protected] Marvin T. Smith Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/sciaa_staffpub Part of the Anthropology Commons Publication Info Published in Notebook, Volume 19, Issue 1-4, 1987, pages 52-61. http://www.cas.sc.edu/sciaa/ © 1987 by The outhS Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology This Article is brought to you by the Archaeology and Anthropology, South Carolina Institute of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty & Staff ubP lications by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sixteenth Century European Trade in the In 1562, Jean Ribault founded a small French colony at Southeastern United States: Charles fort on Port Royal Sound in present-day South Evidence from the Juan Pardo Expeditions Carolina (South 1980). Once the fort was built, Ribault (1566-1568)* assigned a garrison of 28 men to defend it. He then returned to France to obtain supplies and plan for the next By year's expansion of the colony. Soon after Ribault's departure, the fort's storeroom burned down. The men ran Chester B. DePratter short of food and dissension broke out (Bennett 1975:42- and 48; Quinn 1977). Finally the soldiers mutinied and killed Marvin T. Smith their commander. Faced with the prospect of starvation, the soldiers built a small ship and sailed for France. One Frenchman, Guillaume Rufin, remained with the Indians. In 1566-68, two Spanish expeditions commanded by Most of the other soldiers ultimately were rescued by an Captain Juan Pardo ventured inland from Santa Elena, a English vessel. Spanish settlement on the south Atlantic coast of North America (DePratter et al. 1980). Accompanied by 125 In 1564, Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere, who served soldiers, Pardo explored the area from the coast inland under Ribault, returned to Florida and established Fort beyond the Appalachian Mountains. Despite the Caroline at the mouth of the St. John's River. Spain importance of these expeditions, they have attracted immediately recognized this colony as a threat to her comparatively little scholarly attention, perhaps because of interest, and King Phillip II took steps to erase that threat. the limited nature of published primary documents recording He chose Pedro Menendez de Aviles to eradicate the French these journeys. colony and establish Spanish settlements on the Florida mainland to prevent future French incursions (Quinn 1977:282). Published Pardo expedition documents are three in number: 1) Pardo's account of both expeditions (Ruidiaz y On August 28, 1565, Menendez arrived in Florida with Caravia 1894); 2) a highly condensed account of the first 1,000 soldiers and established a town and fort at San expedition by a soldier, Francisco Martinez (Ruidfaz 1894); Agustin (Fig. 1). Three weeks later he attacked Fort and 3) a brief account of the second expedition by Juan de Caroline, which was undermanned and in poor repair. la Vandera who was the expedition's official scribe (Smith Menendez's force routed the French defenders, and massacred 1857; Ruidfaz 1894). more than 300 Frenchmen in the ensuing weeks. Translations of all three accounts into English have When the French presence in Florida had been been published by Ketcham (1954), Folmsbee and Lewis effectively eliminated, Menendez turned his efforts to (1965), and Quinn (1979). These three accounts provide consolidating his control over all of what Spain then only limited details about the route taken, local considered Florida. H is plans encompassed an area populations, and trade goods distributed. Previous studies extending from Chesapeake Bay in the north along the of Pardo's explorations (Mooney 1900; Ross 1930; Atlantic coast and west along the Gulf coast to the Panuco Lowery 1905; De Soto Expedition Commission 1939; and River in modem Mexico. Menendez had forts built at the Baker 1974) have been based entirely on these three mouths of the St. John's River (Fort San Mateo and two documents. blockhouses, San Gabriel and San Esteban), the St. Lucie River (Fort Santa Lucia), and on Port Royal Sound (Fort A fourth, unpublished account written by Juan de la San Felipe). Indian attacks and food shortages soon Vandera (1569) provides more details concerning all resulted in mutiny and desertion at all of the posts and by aspects of Pardo's second trip into the interior. When used the summer of 1566 Menendez's original force of 1,000 had together, the four known accounts furnished a relatively been reduced by over 300. complete picture of both expeditions, including the route followed and the trade materials that were distributed In June, Sancho de Arciniega arrived at San Agustin (DePratter et al. 1980). with 1,500 soldiers and settlers in addition to much-needed supplies. Faced with the problem of feeding and housing such a large force, Menendez stationed 250 soldiers at each [68]Historical Background of his three major forts (Fig. 1): San Felipe, San Mateo and San Agustin (Quinn 1977:268). Captain Juan Pardo Pardo's explorations were Spanish initiatives in the commanded the contingent sent to San Felipe (Ketcham sixteenth century rivalry between Spain and France. The 1954; Folmsbee and Lewis 1965). Other soldiers southeastern United States, La Florida to the Spaniards, was established Fort San Pedro (Fig. 1) and most of Arciniega's the focus of this rivalry because of its proximity to the settlers were sent to Santa Elena. Menendez had the important shipping routes followed by treasure-laden remaining soldiers placed aboard ships and sent into the Spanish ships returning to Europe from the Caribbean. Caribbean to chase pirates (Quinn 1977:268). France wanted a base from which to mount attacks against that shipping. The Atlantic coast of Florida was a natural Once the east coast forts were garrisoned and choice for locating such a base because of the open sea settlements were in place at San Agustin and Santa Elena, route from there back to France. Menendez turned his attention to settlement and exploration of other parts of Florida. He established a fort, *Reprinted by permission from Henry F. Dobyns (Editor), San Antonio, and a mission, Tocobaga, on the Gulf Coast, Spanish Colonial Frontier Research, pages 67-77 (1980), and dispatched an expedition to explore Chesapeake Bay published by Center for Anthropological Studies, (Quinn 1979:II:551-54). As part of the same effort, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Menendez ordered Captain Pardo to explore areas inland from Santa Elena. 52 inland to Chiaha and beyond. After a fierce battle at a fortified town, Boyano returned to Chi aha to await Pardo's Pardo's Mission return the next fall (Martinez in Ketcham 1954:74-78). In September, 1567, Pardo once again moved inland Pardo's explorations were intended to achieve several with 120 soldiers. He marched directly to Fort San Juan goals. Menendez's most pressing need was to disperse his and then on to Chi aha, where he was reunited with Sergeant forces and thus reduce the drain on his insufficient supplies Boyano and his unit. They then continued toward Coosa, (Quinn 1979: V:523). Menendez therefore ordered Pardo to but reports of a large Indian force farther ahead dissuaded take 150 men into the interior to establish forts there and Pardo from reaching his destination. A single soldier to arrange for the Indians to supply provisions to the apparently did continue on, ultimately passing through garrisons (Barrientos 1965:121,127). both Coosa and Tuscalusa before returning to Santa Elena (Mendez de Canzo 1600). A secondary function of the expedition was to find an overland route to Mexico, specifically the mines of Although Pardo failed to establish a fort at Coosa as Zacatecas and San Martin. The forts were to assist in planned by Menendez (Quinn 1979:II:402), he did establish keeping this overland route open. Such a route was six forts in the interior (Fig. 1): Ft. San Pedro (?) at considered feasible due to the relative ease with which de Chiaha, Ft. San Pablo at Cauchi, Ft. San Juan at Joara, Ft. Soto had passed through much of the same area 25 years Santiago at Guatari, Ft. Santo Tomas at Canos, and Ft. earlier. Geographic concepts had become somewhat Nueva Senora de Buena Esperanza at Orista (Vandera 1569). distorted during that 25-year interval, however, and Garrisons of 10 to 30 men were assigned to each fort. Menendez thought that the distance from Santa Elena to the Once most of his men were dispersed in the forts, Pardo mines in Mexico was ony 300 to 350 leagues, or 790 to returned to Santa Elena. On the return journey, Pardo halted 910 miles (Quinn 1979:II:398, 402). Tristan de Luna, who at several "crystal" mines reported to him by Boyano and led an expedition inland from the Gulf coast in search of de the Indian5 of Joara. He found crystals at several Soto's Coosa in 1559-61, thought that the distance from locations, and it is likely that one of these crystals was the Gulf of Mexico to Santa Elena was only 80 leagues given to Menendez (Ross 1930:285). The area from which (Priestley 1928:II:259). Because of this deficient the gem stone was collected contains beryl, gamet, and geographical knowledge, Pardo was expected to make the quartz, and diamonds have been found in the general trip to the Mexican mines and back in only six months.